PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday termed the results of by-elections a vindication of the narrative of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

Addressing a press conference, spokesperson for provincial government Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif said that the victory of PTI in the by-polls showed acceptance of its narrative among people. “PTI was in the run against 13 parties of the ruling coalition and Election Commission of Pakistan. We have defeated them,” he added.

He said that those forces were against PTI, however, his party badly defeated them in the by-polls. He said that despite great difficulties, people opted for PTI and Imran Khan’s narrative. It showed their confidence in PTI, he added.

Barrister Saif said that by-polls also exposed the limits of the ruling coalition as well as their plans and conspiracies. He added that the ruling parties were baldy defeated by PTI.

Mahmood Khan says Imran can steer country out of crisis

He also lambasted Awami National Party provincial president Aimal Wali Khan and said that he should resign from his party’s office after losing elections in NA-24 constituency in Charsadda.

Barrister Saif said that the people of Charsadda rejected the political rhetoric of Aimal Wali and he should quit politics after the defeat. He also demanded snap polls and said that government should be handed over to the wining party after the polls.

Separately, in a statement issued here, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan extended his heartfelt felicitations to PTI chairman Imran Khan, senior leaders, candidates and workers of the party on the victory in by-polls.

He said that the results of the elections strengthened and established the longstanding narrative of PTI. He said that the by-elections proved a national referendum against the imported government as the conglomerate of 13 political parties in PDM lost against PTI.

The chief minister said that PTI became the only political party at national level that was truly representative of people. He added that the entire nation stood with Imran Khan.

He said that the joining of PTI by hundreds of independently elected local government chairmen and the results of the by-elections wiped out the politics of all parties in PDM from grassroots to national level. “It has become clear that the remains of the incompetent and selfish rulers are soon going to be erased from the history of Pakistan,” he added.

The chief minister said that not only in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but people across the country stood with PTI leadership and believed that only Imran Khan was capable to steer the country out of the current crisis.

He said that the results of by-elections buried the politics of PDM member parties. He said that the imported rulers stole the mandate of nation through conspiracies against PTI government. “Now, after the results of by-elections, they should apologise to the nation and immediately step down because they have lost their moral legitimacy,” he added.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2022