The Punjab by elections results is being seen as a bellwether for the national election that must be held by October next year.
AMN / WEB DESK
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has again called for an early national election after his party seized control of the state assembly in Punjab, the country’s most populous province.
Twenty seats were up for grabs in the Punjab by-election, which was seen as a popularity test for the former international cricket star dismissed by a no-confidence vote in April.
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) appeared confident of a landslide victory in the by-elections on 20 Punjab Assembly seats in light of initial results on Sunday, as its senior leader Asad Umar congratulated party supporters who “rejected the decisions made behind closed doors” through their ballots.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, on the other hand, called for introspection following the defeat of the ruling PML-N in its political heartland.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the PTI secretary general urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to call snap elections. After the defeat in the Punjab by-elections and imminent ouster of Hamza Shehbaz as the Punjab CM on July 22, Mr Sharif would be reduced to the “prime minister of Islamabad”, he added.
On July 22, PML-Q leader Parvez Elahi will become the chief minister of Punjab, Mr Umar said, calling the election a mere formality.
Mr Umar claimed that as per the initial results, the PTI was likely to win 16 or 17 seats out of the 20 provincial assembly seats up for grabs in the by-election. The likely victory of the PTI proved that the people of Pakistan had rejected the “decisions taken behind closed doors”, he added.
Mr Umar said the PTI chairman had called a meeting of the core committee on Monday (today) where decisions will be taken regarding the future strategy.
‘Time for introspection’
As unofficial results started pouring in showing the PTI in the lead, the PML-N vice president took to Twitter and said that the “defeat should be accepted with an open heart”. “The PML-N should take the results of the by-polls with an open heart and accept the decision of the masses,” Maryam Nawaz tweeted. She added that winning and losing was part of politics; therefore, the party should now focus on its weaknesses, identify them, and then overcome them.