Shehbaz Sharif to chair PML-N meeting on Punjab by-election debacle

LAHORE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has summoned a high level meeting of his PML-N party to discuss defeat in by elections of Punjab Assembly, ARY News reported on Monday.

The prime minister who has been in Lahore, will chair the party session, which will be attended by Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz and other senior leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

PM Shehbaz Sharif will leave for Islamabad this evening after attending the party meeting.

The prime minister has also decided to take the allies into confidence over the situation after the by elections held in Punjab on Sunday. He is expected to hold a meeting with allied parties’ leaders in Islamabad on Tuesday (tomorrow).

Hamza Shehbaz led Punjab government has been destined to doom after losing majority in the house in result of the PTI’s landslide victory in elections. The PML-N session today will likely to decide on the fate of Hamza Shehbaz as the chief minister.

The party session is also expected to look into the causes behind the defeat in crucial vote.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerged victorious on 15 seats among total 20 on the stake in crucial by-elections.

According to the unconfirmed and unofficial results, the PTI has won 15 seats, while four won by the PML-N and one by an independent candidate, Syed Muhammad Rafi ud Din, in PP-228 Lodhran.