Generally speaking, general elections as and when these are held, are regarded important and discussed before the people go to the polls throughout the process and after the results are discussed on the basis of which newly-elected governments are formed at the national level for the stipulated period of five years as provided in the Constitution.
But somehow the by-elections to the national and provincial assemblies held on April 21 have gained more importance and are being discussed more widely than the general election held on February 8.
By-elections to 21 national and provincial seats were held, and the results had stunned and surprised not only the political and religious parties by and large, but also the PML(N) leadership. The PML(N) had won as many as 12 seats out of 21 seats for which bye-elections were held. This was so because PML(N) had not only won back its own lost seats but also captured a couple of seats of other parties.
Winning a large number of 12 national and provincial seats in the by-election was no less an achievement, because of which not only the winning candidates but the party leadership and workers and supporters at large have every right to be joyous and happy to say the least.
The bye-election results belie the claims of the opposition parties’ leaders who have been accusing the ruling coalition headed by PML(N) President Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif of not having won, but rather of having resorted to so-called rigging and malpractices.
The people have reposed their greater confidence in the PML(N) leadership at the national and provincial levels for their pro-people welfare measures and initiatives. As a matter of fact, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and the first-ever woman Punjab Chief Minister, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who is the daughter of PML(N) supremo Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, had not wasted time and as soon as they had assumed responsibilities at the national and provincial levels, they had got down to work in a sincere and committed manner for providing all possible relief to the people at large, particularly those hailing from the lower segments of the society within the available resources at the national and provincial levels. They were also trying their level best to curtail the government expenses at the federal and provincial levels as much as possible and to spend the resources so saved on the initiatives and measures for the people’s welfare. Political and religious parties do win and lose in the general elections as well as also in the by-elections which are held, and by and large go unnoticed and talked about so much as were being discussed in the by-election to 21 national and provincial seats.
By-elections were held for 5 NA seats and 16 in the Provincial Assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The PML(N) had by winning 5 NA and as many as 10 PA seats, not only gained its own lost seats but also grabbed other parties’ seats thus consolidating its position in the National Assembly and the Punjab Assembly.
In all fairness, it will be commendable if the PML(N) leadership also ponders and looks into the charges and allegations of rigging and irregularities being persistently levelled by the opposition political and religious parties  in a fact finding manner and telling the masses at large the real “truth” of these in order to set the record straight and consolidate the party’s own position among the masses at large
This victory in the bye-election was creditable for the PML(N) leadership in more than one way. Previously, the party had been concentrating more on taking measures to avert the threat of default by the country. In the process, the people were given bitter pills to swallow more than being provided with some relief. As harsh measures were being taken by the federal government, the prices of essential articles and commodities went up soaring high and still higher. The country’s impending threat of default was averted to a great extent no doubt but in the process the PML(N) popularity among the masses was eroded, leading to the party’s losing popularity to some extent.
After losing ground, and then regaining it after a while, was indeed creditable for the party leadership which had done some soul searching, obviously pondering over the causes of losing public support and then rebounded as the country’s threatened default had been averted and now was the time after the general election and forming PML(N)-led coalition government at the national level and majority government in the Punjab to take appropriate measures in a continuous manner for providing relief to the masses at large .
The people at large appreciated the relief measures so being taken by the PML(N) leadership at the national and provincial levels and this was duly reflected in the April 21 by-election result as PML(N) had secured a maximum of 12 NA and PA seats leaving the opposition parties guessing and wondering as to why they have lost the hitherto enjoyed people’s confidence. The PML(N) leadership should not just sit idle and go into deep slumber which would certainly not be advisable or appreciable. The pace of taking initiatives and measures for the people’s welfare should not just be maintained but rather accelerated to the maximum as things started becoming easy and resources’ availability was gradually improved. Quite obviously, the people were now looking forward to the federal and provincial budgets for the new financial year 2024-2025 and hoping for the maximum relief to come their way soon.
In all fairness, it will be commendable if the PML(N) leadership also ponders and looks into the charges and allegations of rigging and irregularities being persistently levelled by the opposition political and religious parties  in a fact finding manner and telling the masses at large the real “truth” of these in order to set the record straight and consolidate the party’s own position among the masses at large.
It may be reiterated here that the people want continuation of the welfare initiatives and measures to the maximum  extent possible and also taking  firm, strong and harshest measures to keep checking prevailing sky-rocketing prices of essential articles and inflation and ensuring the genie of high prices is put back in the bottle at the earliest possible.
