PTI-backed independents join Sunni Ittehad Council 

Almost all PTI-backed winning independent candidates of national and provincial assemblies have officially joined the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).

They submitted affidavits to the Election Commission on Wednesday. 

Mr Ayub and Mr Gohar deliberately did not file affidavits to become SIC members because they plan to contest PTI’s intra-party elections. Mr Gandapur also did not file the affidavit, as he has been nominated as the PTI’s candidate for the slot of KP chief minister.

As many as 89 MNAs, 85 members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, 106 members of the Punjab Assembly and nine members of the Sindh Assembly have submitted their affidavits.

The submission of affidavits proves the PTI’s claim that it had managed to win 93 NA seats, as three party leaders did not submit affidavits, including Omar Ayub Khan, Barrister Gohar Khan and Ali Amin Gandapur, while the notification of one candidate, Dawar Kundi, was yet to be issued by the ECP.

PTI sources said that all the notified MNAs, apart from Mr Ayub and Mr Gohar, and MPAs have joined the SIC.