No need to get too excited about losing five of your own 20 seats, PML-N stalwart advises PTI chairman
\n Lahore
\nPakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz said on Monday that former prime minister Imran Khan\u2019s \u201cattack\u201d on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was not because of any rigging as it did not happen but over fears of the adverse verdict in a foreign funding case.
\nShe was apparently responding to Imran Khan\u2019s address earlier today in which the former premier had said that free and fair elections cannot take place under the current ECP.
\n\u201cThere is only one way [to rid the country of political instability]\u2026 free and fair election. When they were removing me, I had announced general elections but the courts overturned my decision. I still believe it was the right call,\u201d he said while addressing PTI supporters following his party\u2019s landslide victory in Sunday\u2019s by-elections.
\nCalling Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja \u201cdishonest\u201d, Imran in today\u2019s victory speech asked him to resign as, according to him, free and fair elections cannot take place in the country under his supervision.
\n\u201cUnder this ECP, the free and fair election cannot take place. The country\u2019s biggest party does not trust it. I ask the CEC to resign. We have no confidence in you. You\u2019re a biased person and connected with a party,\u201d he alleged.
\n\u201cNo need to get too excited about losing five of your own 20 seats,\u201d Maryam responded to the former premier on his official Twitter handle.
\n\u201cYour attack on the ECP is not because of any rigging as it did not happen but over fears of the adverse verdict in the foreign funding case,\u201d she said.
\nMaryam said that Imran Khan knows that there is \u201cirrefutable evidence\u201d against him, saying that it must be brought to light. She also urged the ECP to announce the verdict soon.
\nThe Imran-led party clinched 15 provincial assembly seats out of the 20 up for grabs, dealing a stunning blow to the 13-party alliance led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on its home turf.
\nAccording to unofficial and preliminary results, the ruling PML-N could only bag four seats.
\nThe PTI\u2019s victory has not only dealt a blow to PML-N\u2019s narrative of performance in Punjab but has also turned the tables on the politics of electables.
\nThe chief minister\u2019s elections, scheduled to be held on the apex court\u2019s orders, will now see CM Hamza Shehbaz probably losing his office and Speaker Pervaiz Elahi\u2019s ascension to power as CM Punjab.
\nCurrently, the PML-N\u2019s combined strength is 175 and with three more votes PML-N\u2019s total tally will rise to 178, while the PTI on its own will have a strength of 178, excluding the vote of estranged PTI MPA also the deputy speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari.
\nWith 10 more votes of the PML-Q, Elahi\u2019s victory is certain.
\nThe PML-N was quick to express its willingness to play by Queensberry rules and accept the results with grace.
\nThe party leaders put the blame on difficult financial decisions taken by the government at the Centre that brought on back-breaking inflation in the country.
\nShe said two factors played an important role in PML-N\u2019s defeats, explaining that besides the tough financial decisions, the second reason was the rejection of turncoats.
\nHe said that the party has decided not to put blame on turncoats as it would further damage their reputation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
No need to get too excited about losing five of your own 20 seats, PML-N stalwart advises PTI chairman Lahore Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz said on Monday that former prime minister Imran Khan\u2019s \u201cattack\u201d on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was not because of any rigging as it did not happen […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-271994","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n