PESHAWAR: Awami National Party on Thursday ruled out negotiations with Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, claiming it had stolen ANP’s mandate.

In a statement issued here, ANP central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that PTI senior leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser had contacted the party leadership.

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However, Mr Hussain said that ANP was of the view that under the prevailing circumstances negotiations with PTI as a party was not appropriate.

Mr Hussain said that PTI was being given government through rigging in elections and in such a situation the ANP had the only option to hold protest rallies. “ANP has been defeated and PTI was supported,” he said.

He said his party had already announced its plan of holding protests from Feb 20 against election rigging, alteration of results and use of money.

It may be mentioned here that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf recently formed special committees to chalk out a strategy on government formation in the centre, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after what it claimed to have emerged as the largest party in Feb 8 general elections.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2024