Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in a late night press conference on Sunday accepted their defeat in the intensely contested NA-122 by-election but expressed their reservations over irregularities in voter lists claiming Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) had used government machinery for their own advantage. The PTI leaders, however, remained optimistic that their party was sure to win in the next coming elections.
The press conference was conducted by PTI leaders Jehangir Tareen, Chaudhary Sarwar and PTI’s main candidate Aleem Khan.
Tareen accepting PTI’s defeat during the press conference stated that PTI had pointed out the irregularities in the voter lists at each stage. He stated that his party will announce its strategy for the upcoming times after complete investigation into this matter. Tareen also stated that the reduction in the number of overall votes for PML-N was a victory for PTI and was an indication that it was sure to win the next elections.
Speaking on this occasion, PTI’s candidate for the NA-122 by-election Aleem Khan stated that a three thousand margin would not have exited if the voter lists had not been alerted. Khan stated that in PML-N’s candidate and his main opponent Ayaz Sadiq had only won by a margin of three thousand votes and to ask themselves if the candidate had been PTI’s Chairman Imran Khan himself.
PTI leader Chaudhary Sarwar accused PML-N of using government machinery for their own benefit during the election. Sarwar also stated that the by-election was not a defeat of Aleem Khan but a victory overall. Sarwar stated that they want to take the concept of democracy in Pakistan forward. He stated that his party was a believer of democracy and would like to strengthen it. Sarwar also stated that the day was not far when the seat of NA-122 will be with the PTI Chairman.
PTI’s candidate Shoaib Siddiqui was able to secure his success in PP-147 by-election managing 31993 votes defeating his opponent PML-N’s Mohsin Latif.
The previous elections of NA-122 constituency in the general elections of 2013 were declared void after PTI decried that a heavy rigging of the elections had been carried out. Investigating the claims, Election of Commission Pakistan (ECP) formed Election Tribunals which declared that the a partial or complete rigging had, in fact, taken place causing ECP to call for a re-polling in 5 of the 20 constituencies and declaring the previous successful candidates from these areas as ineligible.
Ayaz Sadiq had emerged victorious in these void elections as well, securing 93362 votes while his main opponent in 2013 had been Imran Khan himself who managed a second position with 84417 votes.
Khan took to the streets protesting the validity of the 2013 elections accusing PML-N as well as the Returning Officers (RO) of stuffing the ballots. The accusations led to protests in Islamabad spanning almost 4 months.
