Sana blames inflation for PDM’s shocking defeat in by-polls

Interior minister warns Imran of crushing response on long march

ISLAMABAD:

A day after the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) lost to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the by-elections, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Monday said that the former ruling party got 10,000 to 12,000 more votes in each constituency due to inflation, particularly the high cost of electricity.

Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, the interior minister commented on the by-elections held on the seats of the National and Provincial Assemblies. “This election was clean and transparent, for which the Election Commission deserves the most congratulations,” he said.

“They were also managed by the Election Commission very responsibly, no one can say that any kind of partiality was used in Sunday's election,” he added.

Sanaullah said that since the beginning, PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who has been engaged in making “poisonous and defamatory propaganda” against the chief election commissioner (CEC), has been proven wrong.

“I want to give a very clear message to the people of PTI that they got 547,000 votes and PDM got 475,000 votes,” he said. “Imran Khan, if you want us to accept the decision of 547,000 voters, you have to respect the opinion of 475,000 voters.”

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The interior minister said that votes for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) were also cast by the citizens of Pakistan.

“Democracy means respecting the vote, respecting the vote means recognising the decision of the vote and not changing it,” he said. “Accepting the vote in your favour and rejecting the opposition is not a democratic attitude.”

“We have spent our whole lives in prisons for democracy, I have data that PML-N got more votes than before,” he added.

He further said that in Sharaqpur, the votes of PML-N increased from 31,000 to 40,000. “If your votes have increased, our votes have increased as well,” he added.

“Since you do not care about your honor, you have also asked your workers to abuse the opposing candidate,” the federal minister said.

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Sanaullah claimed that Imran will not get the support of any provincial government in the general election.

“We lost 10 to 12,000 votes in each constituency because of electricity bills; due to our difficult decisions, inflation and electricity prices increased,” he said. “Inflation and electricity prices will also be reduced.”

He further said that winning the by-election does not mean that the government should be removed in an unconstitutional manner. By winning the by-election, Imran did not get a licence to do “unconstitutional work”, he added.

He told the former premier that if he wants elections, he should return to parliament.

Regarding the long march, the interior minister said that if the PTI chief marches on Islamabad, he will get a “crushing response”.

“These people will be faced with full force,” he added.