PTI has won 15 of the 20 seats up for grabs in the Sunday Punjab by-elections. Four seats were won by the PML-N, and one by an independent.
After Imran Khan was ousted as prime minister by a no-confidence vote in April, the by-elections were considered as a popularity test for him.
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Results of Punjab By-Elections:
Although Khan has been actively campaigning around the nation for an earlier election since being ousted, the elections were also seen as a proxy for the national elections that must be held by October of next year.
The PTI’s winning candidates and their constituencies include Hassan Malik (PP-83, Khushab-II); Irfan Ullah Khan Niazi (PP-90, Bhakkar-II); Ali Afzal Sahi (PP-97, Faisalabad-I); Mian Muhammad Azam (PP-125, Jhang-II); Mehr Muhammad Nawaz (PP-127, Jhang-IV); Khurram Shehzad Virk (PP-140, Sheikhupura-VI); Mian Muhammad Akram Usman (PP-158, Lahore-XV); Shabbir Ahmad Gujjar (PP-167, Lahore-XXIV); Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar (PP-170, Lahore-XXVI); Muhammad Ghulam Sarwar (PP-202, Sahiwal-VII); Makhdoom Zain Hussain Qureshi (PP-217, Multan-VII); Muhammad Aamir Iqbal Shah (PP-224, Lodhran-I) and Muhammad Moazzam Ali Khan (PP-272, Muzaffargarh-V).
The winning PML-N candidates are Raja Saghir Ahmed (PP-07, Rawalpindi-II); Malik Asad Ali Khokhar (PP-168, Lahore-XXV); Fida Hussain (PP-237, Bahawalnagar-I) and Muhammad Sibtain Raza (PP-273, Muzaffargarh-VI).
Only independent candidate Syed Muhammad Rafiuddin Bukhari won from PP-228 (Lodhran-V) constituency.
Imran Khan’s reaction:
Imran Khan, the chairman of the PTI, praised Punjabi voters and party members in a tweet for defeating not only PML-N candidates but also the entire state apparatus, particularly harassment by police and a “completely biased” Election Commission of Pakistan.
He also expressed gratitude to the PML-Q, Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM), and Sunni Ittehad Council, who are PTI allies (SIC).
“The only way forward from here is to hold fair and free elections under a credible ECP. Any other path will only lead to greater political uncertainty and further economic chaos,” Mr Khan said.
The only way forward from here is to hold fair & free elections under a credible ECP. Any other path will only lead to greater political uncertainty & further economic chaos.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) July 17, 2022
PML-N accepts defeat:
In a tweet, PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz urged her party to accept the results and submit to the will of the people, noting that both winning and losing are inherent in politics. She also counselled her party to recognise its flaws and make a concerted effort to fix them.
مسلم لیگ ن کو کھلے دل سے نتائج تسلیم کرنا چاہییں۔ عوام کے فیصلے کے سامنے سر جھکانا چاہیے۔ سیاست میں ہار جیت ہوتی رہتی ہے۔ دل بڑا کرنا چاہیے۔ جہاں جہاں کمزوریاں ہیں، ان کی نشاندہی کر کے انھیں دور کرنے کے لیے محنت کرنی چاہیے۔ انشاءاللّہ خیر ہو گی۔
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 17, 2022
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