Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf with 115 and allies with 11 National Assembly seats - PML-Q (4), BAP (4), GDA (2), and AML (1) - technically require the support of 21 additional members of the National Assembly to get a simple majority to form the government; the situation however remains fluid as PTI leadership remains proactively engaged in seeking support.
PTI emerged as the largest seat winning party with 115 seats, but would have to forgo up to 10 National Assembly seats prior to taking oath - those who won multiple seats (Imran Khan's 4, Major Tahir Sadiq's (Retd) 1, Ghulam Sarwar Khan's 1) as well as those who would opt to retain their national as opposed to their provincial assembly seat (Pervez Khattak, Asad Qaiser and Fawad Chaudhry) - bringing the total number down to 105.
Add 11 MNAs from allies and the total number is 116 (with Chaudhry Pervez Elahi required to give up one of his two national assembly seats).To get the required 137 members to declare a majority PTI would need support of 21 additional MNAs for which the party is already in contact with a number of independents (13 in total) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) with 6 MNAs. If all the 13 independents and 6 MQM members support the PTI, the total number will reach 135 - still short of two seats to get a simple majority.
Runner-ups with PML-N in a clear lead having secured 64 seats, PPP with 43, MMA with 12, and ANP with 1, have a combined total of 120 MNAs if they succeed in forming an alliance; to form a government in the centre they would be short of 17 members, however with 13 independents, of which a good number are inclined towards PTI, any attempt to form the government in the centre appears an impossibility at this time.
Sources told Business Recorder that all the independents have been informed that all their demands would be met once the process of formation of the government in Punjab and centre is complete.
"It's premature to say anything, but one thing I can say is that some of these independents will be part of the federal cabinet," said a senior PTI leader, who wished not to be named.
To a question about accommodating the large number of electables who had joined PTI ahead of elections, constituting around 30 percent of all party members who were awarded the ticket, he acknowledged that it is not possible to accommodate all of them, but added that "at the moment our priority is to complete the required number to form the government."
"There are many options available to the government to accommodate its members and giving them ministerial positions is just one option," he declared.
Jahangir Khan Tareen, a close confidant of PTI chairman Imran Khan, is already proactively engaged in negotiating with independents to get their support in order to ensure a simple majority, in which, according to sources, he has succeeded to a great extent.
Naeemul Haq, spokesman to PTI chairman Imran Khan claimed that the party would manage to form a government not only in the centre but also in Punjab.
Talking to journalists at Bani Gala residence of Imran Khan, he said that Imran Khan will take oath before 14 August as the prime minister of Pakistan, adding "we have finalized our negotiations and will give the good news by Sunday (today)."
PML-N's legislators-elect, Shahbaz Sharif got one national and one provincial seat from Lahore. If he decides to stay in Punjab, his party will be deprived of one national seat.
His son Hamza also won one national and one provincial seat from Lahore. If he prefers the Punjab Assembly, the PML-N's final tally faces loss of another seat.
"Perhaps PML-N would prefer to give the position of Leader of the Opposition to Khawaja Asif as he has the capacity to irritate Imran Khan the most," said a PML-N leader facetiously but on condition of anonymity.
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