By-polls victory: PTI sees change in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A charged PTI Sunday saw a “change in Pakistan” after the party took a major lead in the Punjab by-elections — the polls that will decide who holds the reigns in the country’s biggest province.

“Soon, Pakistan will witness a change [...] Hamza Shehbaz’s fake government has ceased to exist,” PTI leader Hammad Azhar said in an address to party workers in Lahore.

In a separate press conference, PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar said that all the pre-poll surveys had pointed towards his party’s victory in today’s by-elections. “PTI will win at least

16 seats. This isn’t PTI’s victory, this is the nation’s victory,” the former minister for planning, development, and special initiatives said.

The ex-federal minister said that people will not allow anyone to make decisions related to their fate behind closed doors as he stressed that these election results would change Pakistan’s politics.

“Pervez Elahi will become the chief minister on July 22,” Umar said while referring to the date when the elections for Punjab’s top office will take place in line with the Supreme Court’s orders.

Umar said PTI Chairman Imran Khan might not hold an address today as he will first summon a core committee meeting of the party’s leadership tomorrow to decide the future course of action.

“Imran Khan does not prefer coming to the fore when he secures a victory,” he said while asking the party workers to stay on guard till the final results come in. Umar said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is now the premier of Islamabad and stressed that the only solution for Pakistan to move forward now was early general polls.