Coalition parties in the government have taken a unanimous decision not to participate in the upcoming by-elections, Information and Broadcasting Minister Maryam Aurangzeb said on Tuesday, stating that the “riot party” should contest the by-elections and come to the assembly
The decision has left the field wide open for Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to make a comeback to the National Assembly
In a statement issued to the media, the information minister criticised the PTI, labeling it a "riot party" and claiming that it was unclear about what it wanted to do: go to the court, go to the assembly, or go to the election
She further added that the PTI had a history of going to courts to accept resignations, only to later refuse to accept them
Aurangzeb also questioned the PTI's motives for wanting to contest the by-elections, asking why the party had resigned from the assemblies in the first place if it was willing to participate in the polls
She argued that the country should not be allowed to fall prey to the chaos of a single person, in an apparent reference to PTI chief Imran Khan
Also read: Pervaiz Elahi joins PTI along with 10 former MPAs The announcement by the ruling coalition comes ahead of a series of by-elections scheduled to be held in various constituencies across the country
The decision not to participate in the polls by the coalition parties is expected to give the PTI an edge in these elections, which could help the party boost its representation in the National Assembly
The PTI, on its part, has welcomed the decision of the ruling coalition, with party leaders saying that it was a sign of the PTI's growing popularity and strength in the country
They claimed that the party would emerge as the victor in the upcoming by-elections, as people were fed up with the policies of the ruling coalition
The by-elections are seen as a crucial test for both the ruling coalition and the opposition parties, as they could have a significant impact on the political landscape of the country
It remains to be seen how the PTI performs in the upcoming polls, and whether the ruling coalition's decision not to participate will have any bearing on the final outcome
| Date: | 22-Feb-2023 | Reference: | View Original Link |
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