PTI Boycotted By-Elections After Sensing Defeat: Maryam Nawaz

The Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday in a press briefing stated that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) boycotted the by-elections after foreseeing its “defeat.”

Maryam Nawaz stated that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) sweeping victory in the by-elections demonstrates that the people have rejected empty narratives and voted on the basis of performance.

She, in addition, during the presser, stated that a boycott only depicts frustration.

According to the CM of Punjab, both former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and she faced jail but never boycotted elections.

She also questioned the PTI’s choice to boycott the elections in other constituencies and only run in the by-election in NA-18 (Haripur).

She said that in Haripur, the PTI contested the by-elections “in the name of prisoner number 804” but still failed to secure victory.

“Their claims of popularity have collapsed in these by-elections,” she said.

CM Maryam said that governance, not rhetoric, brings electoral success. “You don’t win by election slogans; you win through performance,” she said. “There is no better narrative than delivery.”

The chief minister said that the PML-N has regained the seats it lost in the general elections. “PML-N has won back its seats. This is a historic victory for us in the by-elections,” she said.

“The people of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have clearly decided in favor of PML-N.”

The chief minister criticized “disruptions” in earlier political periods, saying, “In 2018, the country was progressing, but it was derailed.”

Maryam said that no political narrative can succeed without visible work on the ground. “If there is no performance, no narrative can help you,” she asserted.

The ruling PML-N clean-swept the by-polls for six National Assembly seats and won six out of seven Punjab Assembly seats, according to unofficial results.

The seats fell vacant largely due to the disqualification of PTI lawmakers convicted in cases related to the May 9, 2023, riots following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan.

By-elections were held in six National Assembly constituencies—NA-18 (Haripur), NA-96 (Faisalabad), NA-104 (Faisalabad), NA-129 (Lahore), NA-143 (Sahiwal), and NA-185 (Dera Ghazi Khan).

Seven Punjab Assembly constituencies—PP-73 (Sargodha), PP-87 (Mianwali), PP-98 (Faisalabad), PP-115 (Faisalabad), PP-116 (Faisalabad), PP-203 (Sahiwal), and PP-269 (Muzaffargarh)—also conducted elections.

According to the unofficial results, the Pakistan Peoples Party won PP-269, while the PML-N won every other seat.