Islamabad, Apr 1 (IANS): Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan congratulated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) team on Friday for their "overwhelming success" in the second phase of the provincial elections, Express Tribune reported.

"People of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have emphatically rejected the traitors who sold out to foreign masters," Khan said in a tweet.

"This is an early warning to all traitors of what awaits them in their constituencies."

The PTI took an early lead in the local body elections which were held in 65 tehsils in 18 districts of the province on Thursday.

Partial results have placed the ruling party in the lead in 22 tehsils, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) in five and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in four.

According to media reports, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was leading in two and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in one tehsil.

The results could change after all the votes were counted.