After the landslide win in recent by-polls for 20 Punjab Assembly seats, former prime minister Imran Khan has boasted about the power of the people and the need for free and fair elections. During electioneering for his candidates across Punjab and after the results, he has not stepped back from his demand for the resignation of the chief election commissioner (CEC). Though there are reports that elections were peaceful, and by and large fair, Mr Khan, however, accuses the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of engineering polls in the pre-polling phase. Despite all these odds, the results came as per the expectations of Mr Khan, for which he also thanked those who voted for the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), especially the youth and women who came out and voted despite threats from the current government. He also reiterated that free and fair elections are the need of the hour and claimed that more than 4,000 deceased people’s votes were registered. He also demanded the resignation of the chief election commissioner as he claimed that the state’s machinery was used to rig the elections in favour of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), however, due to the power of the people PTI bagged more votes and resultantly more seats in the provincial assembly. PTI’s win and PML-N’s loss also came as a shocker to many as such election results were not expected. Many were of the opinion that the elections will be rigged in favour of the current government as they have the means to get the vote in their favour. Many voters found that their constituencies were changed to some far-off areas while others found that they were married to some person they had never met. There is no doubt that the current government used the state machinery to make voting an arduous task. However, the people who are now suffering because of PML-N’s policies came out in the scorching heat to vote for the party that was working towards the development of Pakistan. The odds were against the candidates of PTI and yet they won.
The PTI has won the Punjab by-polls resulting in an insulting defeat for the PML-N as out of the 20 seats on which elections were contested, 17 went to the former government’s party. Although there were rumours about elections being rigged in favour of PML-N, the results showed something else. Punjab has always been a hub of PML-N, it is the province through which the party gains most seats and has ruled for decades. However, their status is changing now. In the previous general elections, PML-N lost the province to PTI and it has once again lost it to PTI in the by-polls. Mr Khan showed concern for the economy and stated that during his party’s government the economy had begun to stabilize and was progressing towards a better, healthy and stable future, however, all of this was sabotaged by the power-hungry PDM. These elections were also a demo of the next general elections. If the current ruling party wants to win it may have to come up with better policies and make the lives of the common man better instead of indulging in cheap tactics of propaganda and bribing. PTI, on the other hand, also needs to move away from its agenda of hate and the use of foul language and instead develop a sound manifesto which will allow people to vote for them. These elections may have given a teaser of the next general elections or they may have just reiterated that PTI has a strong hold over these seats. In any case, both parties need to gear up as the general elections will not be an easy win or a humiliating loss for either side. PML-N would have to prove itself this time and PTI will have to come up with something other than baseless theories and the blame game.
