Six PTI leaders emerge as strong candidates for slot of CM Punjab: Report

Six PTI leaders emerge as strong candidates for slot of CM Punjab: Report

ISLAMABAD - At least six leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) appeared on 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 chief minister of Punjab position.

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

Earlier, in a major blow to Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s (PML-N) efforts aimed at forming government in Punjab, four independent lawmakers including Kabirwala’s Hussain Gardezi, Layyah’s Syed Rafaqat Hussain Shah and Bashir Randhawa and DG Khan’s Hameed Pitafi had joined PTI, strengthening position of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s party in Punjab.

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

Independent candidates—with 29 seats in the provincial assembly—remain vital for both parties to form government. PML-Q is on fourth spot with seven lawmakers while Bilawal-led Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has won just six seats and is on fifth spot.