Lahore by-poll results referendum on PTI govt, says minister

LAHORE: Provincial Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed on Friday termed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate’s win in Thursday’s by-polls on the Punjab Assembly seat (PP-168) in Lahore a referendum on the party’s government.

Speaking to media here, he said residents of Lahore routed former rulers, adding that they rid themselves of corrupt leaders.

He said that the PTI will now hold a key to Punjab’s power corridors for next 20 years. He claimed that the PML-N spent Rs8 billion during campaign for the by-polls.

The minister slammed the opposition party, saying it labeled everything rigging and action against corruption political vendetta.

As per unofficial results, PTI candidate Malik Asad Ali Khokhar won PP-168 seat by bagging 17,579 votes while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) nominee Rana Khalid Mehmood managed to secure 16,892 ballots.

The PP-168 Lahore seat was vacated by PML-N stalwart Khawaja Saad Rafique after he was elected to the National Assembly.