*ISLAMABAD – The Imran Khan-led PTI emerged as the biggest party after the2018 elections. The party is all set to form the governments in the Centreas well as in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as it got the most seats in these twohouses.*
In Punjab, the story is slightly different. While the PTI has emerged asthe second largest party in the province with 123 seats while the PML-N,which has been ruling the Punjab for the last 10 years, has 127 seats inthe provincial assembly.
To form the government in the province, a party needs 149 seats. With 28independent being elected, it is any party’s game.
Post-election, many independent candidates happily join the mainstreampolitical parties they rejected during their campaigns.
After PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz announced on Friday that the party willform the government in the province, the PTI sprang into action.
PTI leaders Jahangir Tareen and Aleem Khan met two independent candidates,Muhammad Hanif and Muhammad Salman, who got elected on Punjab Assemblyseats and invited them to join the PTI. Salman and Hanif were elected fromPP-217 and PP-289 respectively.
Both candidates said they would decide after considering the offer.
However, they are not only players in this game. Salman revealed that hehas already been approached by Hamza, who has offered to fly him to Lahoreon a chartered plane to meet PML-N leadership.
Another independent candidate, Syed Hussain Jahanian Gardezi, who gotelected from PP-204 Khanewal, announced on Saturday that he is joining thePTI.
However today MPAs from Faisalabad, Multan, Sheikhupura and South Punjabwill meet Imran Khan today and announce joining PTI in Banigala.