PTI to celebrate triumph in by-polls with ‘thanksgiving day’

Asad Umar clarifies Imran won't go back to National Assembly; says by-polls a 'referendum' against PDM

PESHAWAR/ ISLAMABAD/ LAHORE:

PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar said on Sunday that Imran Khan would not return to the National Assembly and will also not take the oath after winning the latest by-polls.

The PTI leader's statement came as unconfirmed results of Sunday's by-polls showed that the party had recaptured multiple National Assembly seats and was also in the lead in two others, while also grabbing Punjab Assembly seats previously held by PML-N.

For PTI particularly, the by-polls had assumed ‘plebiscitary’ dimensions as it saw in its victory a potential prelude to success in the general elections and ousted Imran’s return to office. The former prime minister is the PTI’s sole candidate running for seven of the eight NA seats, an unprecedented move in the country’s political history.

Umar’s clarification that Imran would decide against going back to the parliament echoed the consistent line taken by the party that the decision to defeat the mighty coalition after it muscled Imran out of power would be only symbolic in nature.

In conversation with journalists as the election results were pouring in, Umar termed the by-elections "a referendum".

The former federal minister said the party's chairman has directed all workers to observe "Youm-e-Tashakur" (thanksgiving day).He went on to say that the results of the by-polls should serve as a wake-up call for the “decision-makers” who, he said, made a “mistake”.

He said the results of the by-elections were also reflective of the wrath of the people who have been subjected to the "incompetent mafia" for the last six months, adding the masses have rejected the coalition government.

“The people have woken up to the fact that Pakistan has reached an important turning point and they have two options — join the war of ‘foreign countries’ or take decisions in line with national interests.”

‘General elections in a few days’

Meanwhile, rejoicing at the results, PTI central leader Dr Shahbaz Gill predicted that the general elections will be announced in a few days after the results of Sunday’s by-polls.

In a Twitter message, he said that the country was heading towards general elections after today’s by-poll results. “The nation should be prepared as an announcement is going to be made regarding general elections in a few days.”

He further said, “The nation has unanimously voiced for not accepting slavery at any cost. Pakistanis want to make their own decisions and the nation gives its decision today.”

‘A befitting response to US President’

PTI’s Fawad Chaudhry, in a press conference in Nankana Sahib, claimed Imran Khan was winning “with a large margin” as he urged voters to get out and give a “befitting response” to US President Joe Biden, who remarked Pakistan has nuclear weapons but “without any cohesion”.PTI senior leader and former Sindh governor Imran Ismail said that even politicos like PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PPP leaders Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto lacked the support and muscles to defeat Imran.

Addressing the media, he threw a challenge to PPP to slug it out with the PTI chief in its own pocket boroughs like Larkana or Lyari. "Fight against Imran from any place, and you will be routed."

"MQM has been wiped out of existence there. Imran Khan defeated them thoroughly," he added.

‘A referendum against gang of thieves'

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan termed PTI’s “great success” in the by-elections in the three constituencies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a “referendum against the gang of thieves”.

Taking to Twitter to announce PTI’s victory in three constituencies in K-P –NA-22 Mardan, NA-31 Peshawar, and NA-24 Charsadda – he said that the people of the province have completely rejected PDM.

He said he was deeply grateful for the love, hard work and trust of the people and workers, especially Peshawar, Mardan and Charsadda.

Meanwhile, Senior PTI leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser said Imran Khan was ousted from power through a “regime change conspiracy” but added that today the former premier stood victorious and dignified. “The entire nation is standing with Imran Khan like a leaden wall.”

Echoing PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar, Qaiser urged all party workers to observe the day of thanksgiving on Monday (today) and asserted that the people have come to understand the fact that Pakistan needed freedom and not slavery.

‘Victory of Pakistan’

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Labour and Culture Shaukat Yousafzai said that Imran emerging victorious on most of the seats and clinching NA seats was the “victory of Pakistan”.

In a statement, he said, "I salute the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. God willing, the PTI government will come for the third time and Imran will form the government with more than two-thirds majority in the whole country”.

He said the defeat of PDM in the by-polls has once again shown that its narrative has been shattered.