LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Punjab organiser Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar said on Sunday night that the defeat of his party’s candidate in the NA-122 by-election by a ‘small margin’ of about 4,000 votes was not a defeat by just the rival candidate but the entire might and resources of federal and Punjab governments.

“I have congratulated party workers for their great work in the election campaign,” he said.

It was thought that the voters’ turnout would be high because of the hype created for the by-election, but the results showed that only about 41 per cent voters exercised their right to franchise.

Chaudhry Sarwar said the by-elections were far more different than the general elections and the incumbent government always had an edge. He said the government not only activated all its departments but also threatened Railways employees that they would be ousted from their houses if they voted against the PML-N candidate.

He acknowledged that the by-election was held in a peaceful manner under the supervision of the Election Commission of Pakistan. He also said that the ECP had made good arrangements. “The PTI now wants to do politics on issues, instead of confrontation,” he said, adding that the elections in Pakistan must now be held in a free, fair and transparent manner.

PTI’s central information secretary Naeem-ul-Haq said the cumbersome electoral system was responsible for the low voter turnout, while the party’s central organiser Jahangir Tareen said the game was not over yet.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan did not say anything on Sunday.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2015

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