Islamabad, Pakistan: Landslide victory of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidates in across Punjab, particularly in Lahore has been accepted by PMLN top leadership and almost all major parties have summoned emergency meetings today (Monday) to discuss and decide a future course of action.
PMLN gave tickets to repeaters and winning candidates of 2018 at 16 seats who were either PTI candidates in the 2018 general elections or won as independent and then joined PTI and at least were de-seated when they came under defection clause. PMLN lost seats with big margins to PTI candidates although they were supported by PDM component parties. The only seat PMLN won in Lahore was PP-168 where PPP have good following and PPP was supporting PMLN candidate Asad Khokhar.
PTI, PMLN, and PPP leadership will hold meetings to tailor a strategy for the future and would also review the fate of the National Assembly. PTI leadership will launch a massive campaign against the establishment demanding immediate disbanding of the National Assembly while PMLN would review the reasons for the defeat. The biggest upset for PMLN is losing three out of four seats in Lahore.
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has “conceded defeat and congratulated” its arch-rival Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on victory in crucial by-elections on Punjab Assembly’s 20 seats.
The unofficial and initial results on Sunday showed that PTI candidates secured victory in Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal, and Khushab provincial assembly seats while the party took the lead by a clear majority in 15 constituencies of the province.
In a tweet from her official handle, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz, who spearheaded her party’s by-election campaign, said the ruling party should accept the election results with an open heart.
“One should bow before the decision of the people. Winning and losing is the part of the politics,” she added.
Maryam also called for carrying out introspection saying efforts should be made to identify and overcome shortcomings. “God willing, everything will be fine.”
Former Punjab government minister Malik Mohammad Ahmed, who stepped down just days ahead of the by-polls to run the election campaign, accepted the defeat, saying that the PTI has secured a “landslide victory” in the make-or-break by-elections.
“We wholeheartedly accept the opinion of the people,” he said while speaking to a local TV channel.
