Pakistan’s latest round of by-elections, held across constituencies in Punjab and KP, has generated intense debate—not because the results were surprising, but because they pro-vide a revealing snapshot of the current political panorama. The outcomes have raised questions about the organizational strength of major political parties, voter expectations and the trajectory of national and provincial power structures. They compel us to consider whether the results signal the consolidation of PML-N’s political strength, the stagnation of PTI’s populism and the slow but visible expansion of the PPP into South Punjab.

PTI’s humiliating defeat in these by-elections is a result of fragmentation, fatigue and faulty strategy. Once the party of unprecedented mass enthusiasm, PTI has struggled to retain its political identity after 2023. These by-elections have starkly exposed PTI’s multiple political weaknesses. Organizational collapse, voter fatigue and disillusionment, weak candidate se-lection and narrative failure remained the main causes of PTI’s defeat.

The party has suffered severe structural disintegration due to incarcerations, internal divi-sions and the absence of a coherent command system. Local leadership, which is crucial in by-elections, remained either inactive or disoriented. While PTI’s voter base is emotionally charged, it is also politically inconsistent, desperate and immature. Repeated unsuccessful calls for agitation have not translated into electoral discipline, as the majority of PTI suppor-ters stayed home instead of........

© Pakistan Observer