ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's information minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said on Friday the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party had dissolved its organizational structure after suffering a defeat in the first phase of the local bodies' elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The elections were held on Sunday in 17 districts which previously constituted the Federally Administered Tribal Areas before being merged with the northwestern Pakistani province in 2018.

The PTI suffered a major setback in the electoral contest after it lost the coveted mayoral seat in the province it has ruled since 2013, making the prime minister acknowledge "wrong candidate selection" by his party.

"The prime minister, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, consulted the top PTI national leadership before dissolving its organizational structure," the information minister announced in a press talk. "The chief organizer and other party officials have been removed from their posts."

Hussain maintained the ruling party was not into dynastic politics, adding the prime minister expressed displeasure over its administration's decision to overlook merit by distributing tickets among their family members.

The information minister said PTI had established a new committee, which included senior party members, to devise a better strategy for the next phase of the local government election.

The prime minister and his party faced intense criticism from the opposition which maintained the weak PTI electoral performance showed that it had been rejected by the masses.

However, the ruling party dismissed such assertions while blaming the administrative flaws and nepotism for its defeat in the elections.

The information minister also said on Friday PTI was the only national party which was competing with regional factions.