PM says K-P LG elections testimony to 'successful democracies'

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday dubbed the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) local government elections as the start of a modern, devolved local government system that exists in ‘successful democracies’.

The premier took to his official Twitter handle to state that “amidst the noise over K-P LG [elections] no one realises these elections are start of modern, devolved LG system as exists in successful democracies.”

“Directly elected Tehsil nazims will improve governance and create future leaders,” he added.

PM Imran further said that it was the first time in Pakistan’s 74-year-long history wherein the country had “an empowered LG system”.

PM Imran on Tuesday admitted that the PTI had made ‘mistakes’ in the first phase of K-P’s local government elections and pinned the blame on "wrong candidate selection”, a day after his party lost several seats in the province.

The premier took to his official Twitter handle to admit that his party had “paid the price” for its mistakes and wrote that he would “personally” be overseeing PTI’s LG election strategy in the second phase of K-P’s local body polls as well as those held across the country.

Read: PM behind 'fabricated story' against Shehbaz: Marriyum

His tweet came in the wake of the ruling PTI suffering a major blow as the JUI-F cruised to victory with its candidate grabbing the pivotal post of the Peshawar mayor in the first phase of the local government elections held in K-P since the merger of tribal districts.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday said that PM Imran should leave the poor people alone and go home to save the bit of respect he has left, after the PTI’s loss.

“No leader will want to seek an election ticket from the PTI after the recent embarrassing defeat of the party in K-P.”

She said it was the first sitting government in the country, which was losing elections one after another, adding that even the party’s own lawmakers were criticising the government during talk shows.

Report on PTI’s defeat

A report has been prepared on PTI’s defeat in the local body elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, while PM Imran has summoned K-P Chief Minister Mahmood Khan.

A report was prepared on the directives of Chief Minister Mehmood Khan on the reasons for PTI’s defeat.

It revealed that the main reason for the defeat of PTI, apart from inflation, was major internal differences within the party, with some members of the Assembly not supporting the PTI nominees.

According to PTI sources, CM Mehmood is consulting with provincial ministers before submitting the report to the premier.

Sources further said that action had been decided against two members of the National Assembly and four members of the Provincial Assembly for supporting opposition candidates.

The CM is to brief PM Imran on the results of the local body elections and inform him about the distribution of tickets.

PM Imran will provide guidelines for the next phase of the strategy.