In the recent by-polls, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government lost two seats to Awami National Party (ANP) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
ANP candidate Salahuddin won in Peshawar’s constituency PK-71 by getting 11, 416 votes against PTI’s Zulfiqar Khan who secured 10, 004 votes. The seat was vacated by PTI’s Shah Farman after his appointment as KP governor.
However, in PK-78, ANP’s Samar Haroun Bilour scored 20, 916 votes, defeating PTI’s Muhammad Irfan Abdul Salam who won 16, 819 votes in the constituency.
Considered PTI’s hub after its tenure in the province, this defeat of the ruling party in KP fired up social media channels, with people citing incompetence and failed economic policies as the reason why the party seems to have gone out of favour in the region.
Former Radio Pakistan director general Murtaza Solangi shared: “PK71 is gone to ANP and the slogan #ImranYouHaveFailed is resonating with the people of KhyberPakhtunkhwa as PTI loses the seat earlier occupied by current governor Shah Farman. #TsunamiInReverseGear.”
#PK71 is gone to #ANP and the slogan #ImranYouHaveFailed is resonating with the people of #KhyberPakhtunkhwa as #PTI loses the seat earlier occupied by current governor Shah Farman. #TsunamiInReverseGear
— Murtaza Solangi (@murtazasolangi) October 21, 2018
Another user tweeted: “Peshawar which is considered as the strongest hub of PTI in KP. They have lost two seats PK-71 & PK-78 in 8days time to ANP.”
Peshawar which is considered as the strongest hub of PTI in KP. They have lost two seats PK-71 & PK-78 in 8days time to ANP. #ImranYouHaveFailed
— -M (@LucidViews__) October 21, 2018
A user shared a judicious list of grievances with the ruling party.
“No Economic Policy
No Water Policy
No Health Policy
No Education Policy
Destroyed the Masjids
Destroyed the poors’ homes
Hiked the Prices
Imposition of Taxes
Increased Traffic Fines
Increased Metro Fares
Increased Gas Electricity/ Gas Bills
So meray kaptaan #ImranYouHaveFailed.”
No Economic Policy
No Water Policy
No Health Policy
No Education Policy
Destroyed the Masjids
Destroyed the poors’ home
Hiked the Prices
Imposition of Taxes
Increased Traffic Fines
Increased Metro Fares
Increased Gas Electricity/ Gas Bills
So meray kaptaan#ImranYouHaveFailed— N@šïr Hûšš@ïñ (@nhideal) October 21, 2018
Another user commented on the unfolding political events: “We always knew you were incompetent but destroying the economy in just 2 months was something unimaginable. This is why you faced rejection in by-elections #ImranYouHaveFailed.”
We always knew you were incompetent but destroying the economy in just 2 months was something unimaginable. Have you have got rejected in by elections #ImranYouHaveFailed
— Atif Rauf (@Atifrauf79) October 21, 2018
However, the party managed to secure Karachi’s NA-247 and PS-111 seats in the by-polls. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had said that PTI’s victory reflected the public trust in Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government.
“People of Karachi have opted for national politics by rejecting the ethnic one,” he had remarked in a tweet.