PTI to formally announce Imran Khan as PM nominee on Monday

• Party spokesman says decision to be announced in PTI’s parliamentary meeting
• Fawad Chaudhry claimes allies, reserved seats to take PTI NA tally to 174

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Spokesman Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday said that the party will make the formal announcement regarding PTI Chairman Imran Khan as the party’s candidate for the office of the prime minister (PM) on Monday.

The PTI spokesman said, “A parliamentary meeting of the party will take place tomorrow at a private hotel in Islamabad.”

“Imran Khan will be formally announced as the party’s nominee for PM during the meeting,” he added.

Chaudhry also said, “PTI’s seat tally in the National Assembly (NA) currently stands at 125 after the inclusion of independents.”

“Allies and reserved seats will take the PTI tally to 174 seats in NA,” he added further.

Earlier on Saturday, PTI Chairman Khan had announced that he would be keeping the size of his federal cabinet small.

Initially, the cabinet will be of 15 to 20 ministers among which, allies will fill some of the important posts.

According to party sources, Khan himself will monitor the conduct and progress of the ministers.

Imran’s federal cabinet will include Asad Umar as the finance minister while Shah Mahmood Qureshi is being considered for foreign minister’s office.

Shireen Mazari is also reportedly interested for the post, however, possibilities exist of her being made the defence minister.

Shafqat Mehmood is a contender for interior minister while the slot of the NA speaker will be given to Sindh or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

Dr Arif Alvi is a top choice for speaker while Malik Ameen Aslam will be the environment minister or adviser to PM.

PTI, which has 116 MNAs-elect, has managed to rope in eight independent MNAs-elect besides gaining support from Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, Balochistan National Party-Mengal and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid.

Although PTI is in a comfortable position to form their government in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the party is still undecided about who would be filling in the position of KP chief minister. So far, the top choices are Parvez Khattak and Atif Khan.

Similarly, the decision of as to who the Punjab chief minister will be is still pending.

Aleem Khan, Yasmin Rashid, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Mian Mehmood ur Rashid, Mian Aslam Iqbal and Fawad Chaudhry are said to be contending for the top provincial office.