PTI leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Saturday ruled out a merger with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) in case the former was returned its election symbol of the ‘bat’, reasoning that the two were political parties with different orientations.

The SIC was earlier joined by PTI-backed independent candidates after they won the February 8 elections, since former prime minister Imran Khan’s party was deprived of its electoral symbol of the ‘bat’.

Earlier, in a four-one verdict, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had ruled that the SIC was not entitled to claim quota for reserved seats due to having non-curable legal defects and violation of a mandatory provision of submission of party list for reserved seats which is a requirement of the law.

In an interview on DawnNewsTV show ‘Doosra Rukh’ today, Barrister Gohar was questioned about a possible merger with the SIC in case the PTI was given its election symbol back to which he said: “If they (SIC) call for a merger then their party can do it but since it is a religious party then maybe they might not go for a merger and we are a different kind of democratic party so we will keep our own platform.”

Gohar said the party and its members were waiting on the ECP to recognise and notify the recently held intraparty elections on March 3 and return the symbol of the ‘bat’ to the party.

“It’s been one month and we still haven’t been given the certificate,” he said, adding that it was very “unfortunate”.

He said it was “obvious” that if the PTI was given its certificate and election symbol then its members, currently part of the SIC, would return to the party, adding that these aspects were part of the memorandum of understanding with the SIC as well.

“We will join our party when we receive the certificate and will participate in the Parliament from its platform.”

Barrister Gohar said the PTI had a “very good understanding” with the SIC and both parties would continue to be represented in Parliament.

However, he did criticise the ECP and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq for not awarding the SIC the reserved seats in Parliament.

Barrister Gohar also downplayed the matter of a recent meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in Peshawar’s Corps Commander’s House, saying that it would have been better if it was held at the Chief Minister’s House but it was not a major issue if the cabinet had decided to hold a moot there for some reasons.

He stressed that a “working relationship” needed to be maintained and pointed towards the security climate of the province.

Ali Zafar PTI candidate for opposition leader in Senate polls

Earlier today, Gohar announced that Barrister Ali Zafar would be the party’s candidate for the opposition leader in the upcoming Senate chairman and deputy chairman polls.

Addressing a press conference along with other PTI leaders, he said that without representation from KP in the Senate — since Senate elections were postponed in the province — the Senate chairman and deputy chairman elections shouldn’t be conducted.

When questioned about rifts within the party leadership after PTI leader Shehryar Afridi said that there were some “snakes” and “hypocrites” in the party, Gohar said that matters of the party should be discussed on party platforms.