Punjab witnessed intense political activity on Sunday (17 July, 2022) as make-or-break by-elections on 20 hotly-contested provincial constituencies took place. Political pundits was expecting a tough contest between PML-N and PTI in the by-polls that will decide who will become the next chief minister of the province.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah praised the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for making comprehensive and exemplary arrangements to hold by-polls in 20 constituencies of Punjab in a peaceful way. The ECP has ensured rule of law throughout the by-election proceeding which is commendable, he said while addressing a news conference.
“It may possible that the turnout in the by-election would cross 50 per cent, which is very encouraging as it shows that the people have enthusiastically participated in the election,” Rana Sanaullah observed.
The registered voters in all the 20 constituencies were 4,596,873 while a total of 3,140 polling stations including 739 for male, 704 of female, 1,696 combined, and one improvised polling station were set up for the by-election.
Following PTI’s “landslide victory” in the hotly-contested Punjab by-polls, party chairman Imran Khan said the only way forward was “free and fair elections.” A battle for the throne of Punjab was fought as voting was held for 20 constituencies of the province. The PTI managed to grab more votes compared to the PML-N, which has been in power for a very long time.
As results started pouring in, Khan took to his Twitter to reiterate his demand for early elections. “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,” he added.
Celebrations in the PTI camp are in full swing as preliminary, unofficial results in the by-election of Punjab show the party clearly dominating the race.
Keeping in view the political situation, the political leadership needs to seriously introspect as to what depths our politics has sunk and what are the likely consequences of it on the country. Pakistan has suffered from political leadership relying more on populism rather than working toward solid performance and delivery.
What matters to the people now is how the political leadership conducts itself to lead the country toward economic recovery and political stability. The current dismal economic indicators for our political leadership should be of foremost concern.
There is a dire need to take the country in right direction no meter which political party rules over the country. Political stability is the only solution to lead the country towards prosperity and development.
The current by-elections shows the mindset of the majority of people and each political party must accept and respect others mandate in the best interest of the country.
