PML-N’s Vote Bank Expanded Sharply in By-Elections, Says Azma Bokhari

LAHORE: Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Bokhari on Tuesday claimed that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) significantly expanded its vote bank in the recent by-elections, raising its support from around 20,000 votes per constituency in the February general elections to over 100,000 in the latest polls. The PML-N won 12 out of 13 seats contested in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including six National Assembly and six Punjab Assembly constituencies.

Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Bokhari said the results reflected the public’s rejection of the PTI’s “politics of chaos” and their endorsement of the PML-N’s governance and welfare-focused initiatives. She highlighted programmes such as electric buses, free scholarships, the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar housing scheme, and the Kissan Card as key contributors to the party’s growing popularity.

The minister said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had “restored Punjab to a stable and progressive path” after what she described as administrative disorder during the previous PTI-led provincial government. She argued that Maryam’s emphasis on transparent governance, self-imposed performance benchmarks, and nearly 90 development projects demonstrated a leadership style focused on measurable outcomes rather than rhetoric.

Bokhari said the public had acknowledged initiatives directly benefiting citizens, including free hospital services, the Himmat Card, the Dhi Rani Programme, reforms in the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), and infrastructure improvements in Lahore and Gujrat. Even in Haripur, she noted, voters turned away from the PTI despite the party governing the province.

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Criticising KP Chief Minister Suhail Afridi and other PTI leaders, the minister said those who promoted a “politics of disruption and propaganda” were now facing public disapproval. She also claimed that over 420 PTI leaders and lawyers, along with more than 190 family members, had visited party founder Imran Khan in jail so far.

Responding to queries about Imran Khan’s access in prison, Bokhari said Maryam Nawaz had “no role or interference” in administrative or jail-related matters, which she maintained were handled solely by the prison authorities.

She accused the opposition of being preoccupied with confrontation rather than public service, asserting that this approach had led to their rejection in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and weakened their credibility nationwide.