PML-N Leader Mocks PPP After Victory in By-Elections

Lahore – Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former federal minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has taken a jibe at coalition partner Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) following PML-N’s victory in the Sialkot’s Sambrial by-election.
In a statement shared on social media, Rafique said the PPP played a role in the by-election that resembled “Abdullah in someone else’s wedding” — a common Urdu phrase implying unnecessary or misplaced enthusiasm.
Recalling the final day of campaigning, Rafique mentioned that he addressed the main election rally in Sambrial, which coincided with a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rally nearby. He claimed that the PML-N gathering was significantly larger than PTI’s.
He also alleged that PTI had transported large numbers of supporters to the rally via the Sialkot Motorway, and noted there were no roadblocks or restrictions imposed on them.
Commenting on the polling day atmosphere, Rafique stated that the voter turnout and enthusiasm indicated a clear lead for PML-N early on. He criticized PTI for not providing any evidence of electoral misconduct, saying, “If PTI polling agents were removed or there was any police high-handedness, where is the footage? Everyone has a camera phone these days.”
Rafique emphasized that this was the fourth consecutive win for PML-N from this constituency and said that the public sentiment was evident well before the polls. “Victory or defeat should be accepted with grace,” he added.