This is how the Divine responds to treachery, plotting: Maryam on Lodhran by-polls

LAHORE: Maryam Nawaz, while reacting to her party's win in NA-154 Lodhran by-polls late Monday, said, "We bow our heads before The Almighty in gratitude. This is how The Divine responds to treachery and plotting."

In a major upset for the PTI, PML-N’s Iqbal Shah won Monday's by-polls in the constituency by attaining 113,542 votes.

His competitor, PTI’s Ali Tareen, contesting his first election on the seat that fell vacant after his father’s disqualification by the Supreme Court, secured 85,933 votes.

The former first daughter took to Twitter to express her gratitude over the victory in the last by-election — a litmus test of the public sentiment for the two major rival parties Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf — ahead of the general elections this year.

"The Almighty transformed conspiracies against Nawaz Sharif into his strength," she said in a tweet, asking opponents to "still understand."

Maryam said that the people have clarified that they will not let their vote's sanctity to be violated. "The caravan of the sanctity of vote, under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, will only stop upon reaching its destination.

"When the decisions of the people are insulted, then their decisions also get toughened," she said.

"If their prime minister is ousted, then they also take notice."

The former first daughter said, "the decision of the people is clear enough: respect the vote, restore justice."

She said that this was Nawaz's ideology which has seeped into the hearts of the people.