After PTI's defeat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's local body polls, Imran Khan focuses on right candidate selection

After the defeat of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in its stronghold of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to wrong selection of candidates, Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the Punjab government and party leadership to select candidates on merit for the upcoming local government elections in the province.

Dawn newspaper reported that during a meeting with government officials and the political leadership in the country's Punjab province on Thursday, Imran Khan acknowledged that wrong selection of candidates had led to the party's defeat in its stronghold of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

"The government and party leadership should strictly select candidates on merit and avoid dynastic politics, which was exposed after causing damage to the party in KP," the newspaper citing sources quoting the Prime Minister reported as saying.

"The mistakes made in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must not be repeated in Punjab," Imran Khan stressed.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) has won elections in 10 tehsil councils, PTI in 9, ANP in 5, PML-N and Jamaat-e-Islami have bagged one seat each, The News International reported citing the unofficial and unconfirmed results of 31 out of 64 tehsil councils in 17 districts.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan will give the chief minister guidelines to devise an effective strategy for the next phase of the local body elections in the province scheduled next month.

Earlier, the Pakistan premier, who is not happy with the PTI's performance in KP, had summoned KP's Mahmood Khan to Islamabad.

The tickets had been issued to the relatives of the governor, ministers and the lawmakers of the PTI, according to the report.

Merit had been ignored while allocating tickets for the election. The tickets had been issued to the relatives of the governor, ministers and the lawmakers of the PTI, according to News International.

Further, PTI MPA in Lakki Marwat Dr Hasham In mullah had been ignored while allocating the tickets, according to the report.

While national elections are only due in 2023, the loss in a party stronghold comes as Khan's government grapples with the highest inflation and the worst-performing currency in Asia.

( With inputs from ANI )

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