Local issues impacted by-election results, admits PM's spokesman

ISLAMABAD: The prime minister’s spokesman on Monday admitted that prevailing local issues in some constituencies impacted the outcome of the recently held by-elections.

Iftikhar Durrani, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Media, told Geo News that PM Imran Khan held a consultative meeting with party leaders earlier today, where the by-elections, government affairs and the country’s economic situation were among the matters discussed.

Issues on a local level in some of the constituencies where the by-elections were held on Sunday impacted the results, he said.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, however, secured 1,037,000 votes, the most out of all the parties, he pointed out.

Durrani remarked that PTI voters are aware what the past governments did to the country.

He assured that the government will take the economic reforms agenda forward, adding that the prime minister’s priority is to provide relief to the poor. 

The ruling party under PM Imran maintained its slim majority in the parliament after the by-elections, final results showed.

PTI won 15 seats of the total 36 on offer in polls held across the country on Sunday, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, one of several parties with which PTI has formed a coalition government, won an additional two seats, bringing the coalition´s total in the National Assembly to 177 out of 342.