ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday said that the party’s defeat in Lodhran NA-154 by-polls was due to party members joining hands with rival faction Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Talking to a private news channel, Khan said that PTI had to field an inexperienced candidate in NA-154 by-polls since it did not have a second option. The PTI chief added that PTI members leaving the party in favour of the Nawaz league was another reason why the party faced defeated in its Punjab stronghold. Khan, however, said that PTI managed to gather over 92,000 votes in the elections despite the party’s 6 week campaign ‘which is a positive sign’, while PML-N spent ‘a lot of financial resources’ to triumph. Taking jibes at PML-N, Imran said that Pakistan is governed by a ‘mafia’, also alleging the Nawaz-led party of ‘having people work for them’ in government institutions. Khan also challenged PML-N President Nawaz Sharif that PTI will conduct rallies five times bigger in response to those of the Nawaz-league during general election 2018 campaign.