RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Tuesday recommended Ali Amin Khan Gandapur as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, ending days of speculations about who will be the party's nominee for the top slot after it emerged as the largest party in the province.

The PTI founder made the revelation today while speaking to journalists at Adiala jail.

Khan, whose party, secured 84 seats in the KP assembly is in a pole position to form the government while in the National Assembly, PTI-backed candidates emerged as the largest group with over 90 seats followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) which won 75 seats. 

The former prime minister's comments came as key political parties mull a power-sharing formula to form the government in the Centre.

In response to a question, the PTI leader ruled out an alliance with PML-N, PPP and MQM-P, saying he has directed the party to hold talks with other parties other than these.

Those who are brought in are the biggest money launderers, he alleged.

In his first comments on the February polls, Imran Khan said elections bring economic stability to the country but warned that last week's elections would bring economic instability.

According to sources, Khan gave instructions to the PTI regarding the KP's CM and the former ruling party will issue a notification in this regard soon.

Meanwhile, Khan said that he knew his party had won the elections when PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif postponed his press conference. "Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz have lost both elections," he said.

He further claimed that PTI leader Aliya Hamza had received more than 100,000 votes while being in jail.

When asked if his party was forming a government in the province or centre, Khan said that his party would first challenge the election results.

"We will also approach the Supreme Court against the poll results," he added.

The former premier said that they have not agreed on a name for the prime minister's post and will consider it.

On the other hand, the PTI founder said that the court will hear the petition seeking his wife Bushra Bibi's transfer to Adiala jail. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison in the Toshakhana case and seven in the illegal marriage case.

He noted that when PTI came to power in 2018, his party did not hold long marches, protest the results or call for civil disobedience. Rather, they worked dutifully as the opposition for the betterment of Pakistan, he said.

He further commented that despite political differences, the opposition was more than willing to meet with then-prime minister Imran Khan on several issues, including on Kashmir and Covid-19, but alleged that Imran “made every effort to avoid meeting”.

He further noted that his government was the one to “save democracy in Pakistan”.

When asked about the possibility of a new deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), he said: “Let there be no doubt about it, given the point where our economy is at the moment, we will have to go for another IMF package and without delay, whether [it is] a coalition or some other arrangement.”

During his media talk, Shehbaz was also asked about party supremo and older brother Nawaz Sharif’s prospects of becoming premier.

“I still stand by my words that Nawaz Sharif will become prime minister for the fourth time,” Shehbaz said as he recalled the string of achievements during the elder Sharifs’ tenure.

He further stated that during the tenure of the Pakistan Democratic Movement, he made utmost efforts to decrease corruption.