'PTI May Secure Greater Punjab Win As PML-N Loses Ground'

'PTI May Secure Greater Punjab Win As PML-N Loses Ground'
The ruling PML-N has lost ground and the PTI seems well in place to win Punjab's elections. Imran Khan's party might as well bag 10 more seats this time, says Iftikhar Ahmed.

The analyst told Khabar Say Aagay host Raza Rumi that the PML-N pinned hopes to Nawaz Sharif's return for their electoral campaign and that apparently hasn't worked out for them.

The party should have maintained its presence during the by-polls; they might not even be able to finalise their candidates for all electoral constituencies.

"This is the only country where the assemblies were dissolved to fulfill one man's wish," he said. "What sort of a democracy allows the dissolution of assemblies so that the government can be formed again?"

Ahmed recalled the remarks by Imran Khan as well as Fawad Chaudhry and Sheikh Rasheed that the polls will be held in either March or April, and said that's what's happening. He asked, "Is this a coincidence?"

He added that the elections cannot be postponed for years, even if they were to be delayed any further.

Analyst Murtaza Solangi said that the schedule for the national and provincial polls may be adjusted to match the timing.

Commenting on the former prime minister's remarks today, he said that Imran Khan's wish to meet the COAS seems one-sided.

Earlier on Friday, President Arif Alvi approved April 30 as the date for holding elections in Punjab, after reviewing the dates provided by the Election Commission.

In a recent meeting, the ECP expressed readiness to perform constitutional and legal duties to hold the elections.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered that elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must take place within the next 90 days, bringing the intense political wrangling to an end, for now.

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