LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Sunday celebrated its victory in the NA-120 by-election amid gunfire, fireworks and dance performances, as Maryam Nawaz thanked the voters for returning her party’s candidate, her mother Kulsoom Nawaz, to the National Assembly.

As soon as the unofficial result was announced, she tweeted: “Shukar Alhamdolillah a million times! This was PML-N vs All.”

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, on the other hand, suggested that the exercise had been a case of PTI versus the might of the federal, provincial and local governments. “Applaud the courage and determination with which Dr Yasmin Rashid fought NA-120 election against federal, provincial, and local governments-backed PML-N with their massive funds,” he tweeted.

Riding the tide of victory, PML-N leaders were quick to suggest that the result reflected the people’s opinion over the Supreme Court’s decision to disqualify former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from office.

“The people of NA-120 have given their decision over the [Supreme Court’s] verdict against Nawaz Sharif,” said Ms Nawaz jubilantly in her ‘victory speech’ delivered from the balcony of her Model Town residence.

The election, however, saw both parties voicing their reservations against “conspiracies, harassment”, even hurdles for the voters polling their ballots.

The PTI continued to chide the Election Commission of Pakistan for its failure to establish its writ. Dr Rashid announced that she would file a case in the Lahore High Court against the ECP’s failure to clarify the ambiguity over 29,000-plus votes, as well as its inability to respond to the party’s 25 petitions.

“The PTI will not let the official by-election result be announced till [it receives] the clarification over 29,000 unverified votes,” she asserted. “The PTI will unveil its future strategy at a news conference on Monday [today],” she added.

Surrounded by federal ministers while delivering her speech, Ms Nawaz claimed that the PML-N had contested the election despite a rival political force and “hidden [adverse] forces”.

She said, “Our active workers, union council chairmen and coordinators were picked up in the dead of the night... their whereabouts are still unknown.”

On the other hand, former president Asif Ali Zardari explained the Pakistan Peoples Party’s decision to contest the election, saying “this was the beauty of democracy”. “We are in contact with many politicians in Punjab and will reveal our cards at the right time,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2017