KP LG elections: CM Mehmood Khan to probe PTI's defeat, say sources

• Sources say that investigations will also cover the violations of party discipline.
• Say CM Mehmood will soon meet Prime Minister Imran Khan to discuss the situation.
• Special Assistant to the Chief Minister says "reasons will be analysed and an action will be taken if the evidence is found against anyone."

PESHAWAR: Amid the speculations related to PTI's defeat in the local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chief Minister Mehmood Khan has decided to investigate the reason behind his party's "absolute failure in the first phase of elections," sources said.

The ruling party could not grab even a single mayoral seat out of the four. The PTI could only manage to win one tehsil in Peshawar out of six tehsils in Sunday's LG elections while the Opposition parties, particularly JUI-F, have taken an unassailable lead, according to unofficial results.

Sources privy to the matter said that the investigations will also cover the violations of the party's discipline.

They further stated that CM Mehmood will soon meet Prime Minister Imran Khan to discuss the situation.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, while speaking to Geo News, said that the PTI is taking the matter seriously.

"Reasons will be analysed and an action will be taken if the evidence is found against anyone," Said said.

He said that the PTI's performance in the first phase is not too bad but the party suffered because some contested as individual candidates in some districts of the province.

He said that PTI's candidates have won on the seats of tehsil councilors and have performed their best in some districts including Boner.

'Wrong candidate selection' major cause for PTI's loss

Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday conceded defeat in the first phase of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa local government elections 2021, admitting that wrong candidate selection was a major cause for the PTI's shock defeat in the recent polls.

The prime minister's tweet comes a day after PTI's position emerged amid the unofficial results of the LG polls.

"PTI made mistakes in 1st phase of KP LG elections and paid the price. Wrong candidate selection was a major cause. From now on I will personally be overseeing PTI's LG election strategy in 2nd phase of KP LG elections and LG elections across Pak. InshaAllah, PTI will come out stronger," tweeted the prime minister.

In the 64 tehsil council unofficial results obtained so far, the JUI-F has emerged victorious in 16 tehsil council seats while the PTI has won in 14.

Independent candidates have won 10, ANP six, PML-N three, Jamaat-e-Islami two, and Tehreek-e-Istiqlal in the tehsil council elections.