Raja Yasir not finalised for Punjab CM slot: Fawad Chaudhry

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LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry on Thursday said the party had not finalised Raja Yasir as its candidate for the Punjab chief minister slot. 

In an exclusive conversation with Geo News, Chaudhry said the PTI Parliamentary Committee has given party chief, Imran Khan, the mandate to select a candidate for the position. 

"I will only be able to tell you who will be our candidate for the Punjab CM slot when Imran Khan sahib announces it but for now, Raja Yasir or anyone else has not been finalised for the position," Chaudhry clarified. 

The PTI leader further said, "Imran had said the candidate [for Punjab CM slot] would be a person who has no corruption charges against them." 

Commenting on legal cases against Yasir, Chaudhry said he would only be able to elaborate on the matter when the former would discuss the same with him. 

The PTI and its political rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are locked in a battle to form the next Punjab government after both failed to win an outright majority in the country’s biggest provincial assembly.

In the Punjab Assembly, PML-N leads with 127 seats while PTI is a close second with 122 seats, as per the ECP's results of 294 out of 295 total seats.

PML-N, PTI locked in battle to form Punjab government

PML-N leads with 127 seats, while PTI is a close second with 122 seats in Punjab Assembly

Sources within the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) informed Geo News that of the 29 independent candidates in the province, 23 have decided to support PTI, while PML-N and PML-Q have the support of one independent candidate each.

PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz Sharif has claimed that his party will form the next government. Meanwhile, PTI leader Naeem-ul-Haque has also stated that his party has the required numbers to make the next government in Punjab.

Both the parties have contacted the independent candidates to garner maximum support to win Punjab Assembly. The independent candidates will play a crucial role in the formation of the Punjab government. 

Sources have claimed that the Hamza Shehbaz’s name has been put forward by the PML-N to become leader of the house in the Punjab Assembly, and in case the party has to sit on the opposition benches, Khawaja Saad Rafique will be the opposition leader in the assembly. 

On the other hand, PTI was rumoured to consider Aleem Khan, Fawad Chaudhry, and Mian Mahmood-ur-Rasheed for the provincial top slot.