PML-N should accept results of by-polls with an open heart and concede to the decision of masses: Maryam Nawaz
\nnews desk
\nislamabad
\nPML-N conceded defeat Sunday in the crucial Punjab by-elections after the PTI took the lead in the majority of the 20 provincial assembly constituencies which were up for grabs.
\nAs the unofficial results started pouring in, showing the PTI in the lead, the party\u2019s vice president Maryam Nawaz took to Twitter and said that the defeat should be accepted with an open heart.
\n\u201cThe PML-N should accept the results of the by-polls with an open heart and concede to the decision of the masses,\u201d Maryam wrote.
\nShe added that winning and losing were part of politics, therefore, the party should now focus on its weaknesses, identify them, and then overcome them.
\n\u201cGod willing, everything will be fine,\u201d she said.
\nSimilarly, speaking to Geo News, PML-N\u2019s senior leader Malik Mohammad Ahmed Khan also accepted that PTI had received a \u201clandslide victory\u201d in the hotly-contested Punjab by-polls.
\n\u201cI accept that PTI has won and the party wholeheartedly accepts the opinion of the public,\u201d he said.
\nHe further added that everybody can get into the debate of how and what happened, but \u201capparently the situation right now shows that PTI has won the elections; therefore, we congratulate them and accept our defeat.\u201d
\n\u2018Snap-elections\u2019
\nReplying to a question regarding PML-N\u2019s strategy for the election for the position of Chief Minister Punjab, scheduled to be held on July 22, Khan said: \u201cI spoke to Hamza Shahbaz and he was of the view that people have expressed their choice, so we need to acknowledge it.\u201d
\n\u201cLast time the situation was different as there were divisions among the party but this time, it is all about the public and now we will assess where we went wrong,\u201d he said, adding he considered these by-polls as snap-elections.
\nLamenting that the party lost three major seats in Lahore, he said that now there was no reason for the party to stick to their electioneering campaign.
\n\u2018Difficult situation\u2019
\n\u201cThis is a difficult situation for us [PML-N] as we have lost elections in Punjab, where we\u2019ve always had a stronghold, and our government in federal is a coalition setup with thin numbers,\u201d he maintained.
\nKhan further added that when parties consider public opinion, then power becomes secondary and people\u2019s choice becomes the top priority.
\nReplying to a question regarding the chances of early elections, he accepted that the results show PML-N has lost the hold of Punjab, while for the federal government, he refrained from commenting as decisions are taken after consultations from all coalition parties.
\n\u201cThe government of Punjab will now inevitably be formed by the PTI,\u201d he said, adding that all political parties should now strengthen their positions.
\nThe MP stated that the party plans go into the next elections under a coordinated strategy, citing the inclusion of PTI dissidents into the party as one of the major reasons behind our defeat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PML-N should accept results of by-polls with an open heart and concede to the decision of masses: Maryam Nawaz news desk islamabad PML-N conceded defeat Sunday in the crucial Punjab by-elections after the PTI took the lead in the majority of the 20 provincial assembly constituencies which were up for grabs. As the unofficial results […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":262439,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[688],"class_list":{"0":"post-271801","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news","8":"tag-maryam-nawaz"},"yoast_head":"\n