ISLAMABAD – At least six leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) appearedon Sunday as strong candidates for Punjab chief minister position.

Aleem Khan, Yasmin Rashid, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rashid,Mian Aslam Iqbal and Fawad Chaudhry are six candidates for key chiefminister of Punjab position.

However, the final decision has been left to Imran Khan to choose chiefminister of Punjab.

Earlier, in a major blow to Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s (PML-N) effortsaimed at forming government in Punjab, four independent lawmakers includingKabirwala’s Hussain Gardezi, Layyah’s Syed Rafaqat Hussain Shah and BashirRandhawa and DG Khan’s Hameed Pitafi had joined PTI, strengthening positionof cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s party in Punjab.

At present, PML-N leads battleground of Punjab with 129 seats followed byPTI with 123 seats. To form government, a party needs support of 149lawmakers.

Independent candidates—with 29 seats in the provincial assembly—remainvital for both parties to form government. PML-Q is on fourth spot withseven lawmakers while Bilawal-led Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has wonjust six seats and is on fifth spot.