LAHORE: The PTI workers thronged various parts of Lahore and other cities of the province where the by-election was held on Sunday to celebrate a historic victory on most of the provincial assembly seats.

Led by the local PTI leaders, the workers chanted slogans in favour of their chief Imran Khan, declaring his narrative the best for the country’s prosperity. They celebrated the win by dancing on the drumbeats, making fireworks and staging rallies.

“We love Imran Khan who educated us to fight with the obsolete systems run by the corrupt. Today, everyone has seen our candidates winning on most of the seats,” said a worker who was dancing in a gathering in PP-167 Lahore where the PTI candidate Shabbir Gujjar reportedly won, according to unofficial results.

The workers in various groups took out motorcycle and car rallies besides participating in the main jubilations held by their party leaders. In Lahore, rallies were staged by former ministers, Hammad Azhar and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed.

“Today, I want to congratulate you all for winning the by-election on most of the seats. Today, the fake government of Hamza Shahbaz Sharif has come to an end,” Azhar said while speaking to the PTI workers who had gathered there after reports of the party’s success on most seats in Punjab appeared. He declared that the federal government also would soon come to its end.

Mehmoodur Rasheed also staged a rally to celebrate the victory. He termed it a new era of the country’s politics.

“The country’s politics has changed with the results of today’s by-election,” he said while speaking on the occasion.

At the PTI’s Jail Road office, a number of workers gathered and danced to celebrate the victory.

PTI leader Andleeb Abbas also joined the workers and danced. She congratulated the party workers and leaders on the victory.

In other cities, the PTI leaders and workers held jubilation through rallies.

In Multan, the PTI workers staged rallies to mark their party’s success. On the other hand, the PML-N has accepted its defeat in the by-election. According to Malik Ahmad Khan, a senior PML-N leader, the PTI secured most of the seats in Punjab by-poll.

“I admit from the core of my heart that the PTI has made a record success in the Punjab by-poll. Since the vote has come against us, I am seeing (the PML-N) losing the majority in Punjab,” he said in an interview with a news channel.

Meanwhile, Punjab Inspector General of Police Rao Sardar Ali Khan directed the officials to take special measures to prevent incidents of aerial firing on declaration of results of the by-election maintained law and order.

According to a Punjab Police spokesperson, on the day of the by-election, 18 cases were registered for display of weapons and aerial firing while two cases were registered for other incidents. Eighteen weapons were confiscated from the arrested persons. Surety bonds were taken from 1,497 persons in order to stop fighting and aerial firing across Punjab.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2022