LAHORE: In a fresh development, the merger between the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and its ally the Pakistan Tekreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been finalised, The Dependent has learnt.
A well-placed, high-level source within the PML-Q has confirmed that the merger will be announced in the next few days, with the joint party set to be called Pakistan Tehreek-e-Ilahi.
“They had been asking us to get a room for a long time. Now they have been asking us to get a nikkah khawaan,” said the top source within the PML-Q, after whom the new party is named, wishing anonymity.
“Now our relationship will be legitimised under the new party, and we will officially become what we have been for the longest time: one and the same,” they added.
The source who had been hinting for a while that the PTI and PML-Q could officially unite confirmed that the new party’s name would be PTI — Pakistan Tehreek-e-Ilahi.
“We wanted the name to remain PTI, because that is the most popular brand, and frankly the merger will be as much PTI as PTI has ever been,” the top-level source added.
“But obviously, the new party would be named after its founding father. However, we chose to spell Ilahi with an I, to maintain the acronym PTI,” the source added.
“And to give the credit where it’s due, the idea for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Ilahi came from those within the PTI who had long wanted their party to be named Pakistan Tehreek-e-Imran.”
