The opposition coalition has got more seats in already delicately balanced National Assembly, thus weakening the ruling party’s edge. The PML-N has not only managed to improve its position in the National Assembly by wrapping up more NA seats; similarly, the results are more or less similar on the provincial assemblies’ seats where some of the otherwise confirmed seats of PTI have been lost and PML-N and other parties have defeated them. The PML-N has strengthened its position in Punjab Assembly by securing extra seats. The PTI lost two NA seats won in the July 25 general election by Imran Khan (NA-131 Lahore, NA-35 Bannu), one seat in NA-56 Attock, and Punjab Assembly seats won by Fawad Chaudhry (PP-12 Jhelum) and Mohammad Khan (PP-92 D.G. Khan) and two KP assembly seats in Swat. Imran Khan had won all the five NA seats he had contested from Islamabad, Bannu, Mianwali, Lahore and Karachi in the July elections. He later retained the Mianwali seat. In the by-elections, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s Zahid Akram Durrani, son of Akram Durrani, won the Bannu seat, whereas PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique clinched the NA-131 Lahore seat. The PML-N upset the PTI by clinching the NA-56 (Attock) seat with a clear margin. The seat had been vacated by PTI’s Tahir Sadiq who had also won the other NA seat from the district in the general elections. In D.G. Khan, PML-N leader Awais Khan Leghari won the Punjab Assembly (PP-3) seat by defeating PTI’s Maqsood Leghari. The KP Assembly (PK-78) seat, where elections could not take place on July 25 due to assassination of ANP leader Haroon Bilour, has been won by his widow despite the fact that the National Assembly seat in the same constituency had been won by the PTI. The Oct 14 by-election, in which the PTI, among other losses, failed to retain two of the seats that were won by Mr Khan himself in the July 25 general polls, is by no means a an incidence that can simply go unnoticed. It represents an early reminder to the PTI performance. It’s a time for retrospection and to revisit their policies and decisions which have led to their losing the public support in a very short span of time. The ANP and MMA have something to be happy about now after they were routed in KPK by the PTI in the July elections. In Sindh PPPP has won the two seats. Though the results would have a little impact on the party position in the National Assembly where the PTI and its allies have simple majority, however the victory of PML-N on considerable national and provincial assemblies’ seats is certainly be a morale booster for the opposition.
PML-N’s victory on considerable seats in by-elections is certainly be a morale booster for opposition.
