Nationwide electioneering gets going

ISLAMABAD: All small and major political parties, which have thrown their hats in the political ring, set their nationwide formal mass contact campaigns in motion on Sunday.

Launching his campaign from the Mianwali home district by addressing a public meeting, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his sons should be held accountable for Rs300 billion, adding that the PML-N had 'expertise only in corruption and money laundering'.

He claimed that during the PML-N's tenure, the Sharif brothers took the country’s loans from Rs13,000 billion to Rs27,000 billion. He said all the progress was made in advertisements only on which Rs40 billion was spent.

Imran is contesting the July 25 polls from four constituencies, including NA-95 Mianwali. “When people used to make fun of the PTI, the people of Mianwali stood with me,” Imran said, adding that PTI was Pakistan’s largest political party.

He said the ruling elite had become richer while the poor had become poorer. Throwing a challenge to his political opponents, Imran said he will collect Rs8,000 billion tax. He invoked Allah Almighty’s help for his party to win the 2018 elections to dispatch cruel people to jail.

On the issues of party tickets, Imran said he faced immense pressure on the matter, as ‘everyone was asking for tickets’. “All my relatives from Mianwali were asking for tickets… Nawaz and Zardari distributed tickets among relatives,” he said.

Meanwhile, the PTI leader and KP former chief minister Pervez Khattak said people would support his party in the upcoming general election, as Imran Khan had the potential to steer the country out of the prevailing crises.

Addressing a well-attended public gathering in the Jalozai area of Nowshera, Khattak said the ANP in its five-year term had made a record in corruption and introduced 'easyload' culture.

"The ANP-led government had already done grave damage to the province when we took power after winning the general election in 2013. We rectified the situation by introducing reforms in almost all the sectors and by carrying out several development projects," he pointed out.

Addressing a rally atKahuta, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi praised the PML-N Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his government for undertaking various development projects across the country.

Prior to the rally, the residents protested against Abbasi for failing to fulfill his promises made in the previous election campaign. The PML-N will officially launch its election campaign on from Karachi on Monday (today).

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif will be coming to Karachi today for two days. He is expected to address a party rally and visit constituencies where the party has fielded candidates.

The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), a coalition of religious parties, held its first rally on the Ring Road, Peshawar. Addressing the participants, MMA leader Fazlur Rehman said the Muslim world looked towards Pakistan for resolution of their persisting issues.

He also congratulated Tayyap Erdogan on the recently-held polls in Turkey. Earlier, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq addressed the gathering, saying that the masses must rid the country of corrupt mafia through the power of vote.

Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed kicked off his election campaign from Rawalpindi. The AML chief set off on a tour of his constituency on a motorcycle.

Speaking to the media, Sheikh Rashid said he was thinking of replacing his party symbol from the current pen and bottle of ink to a motorcycle.

“If I came into power, I will ensure the completion of Nullah Leh Highway Express project and Ghazi-Barotha Hydropower Project,” he said. “I will also bring back the looted wealth of thieves,” he stressed. Rasheed was confident that he would get a record number of votes from both NA-60 and NA-62.

The PTI has not fielded its candidates against Rashid in both the constituencies. The AML chief is competing against the PML-N candidate Barrister Danial Chaudhry from NA-62. Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan Sunday said the PTI chief Imran Khan had set a wrong precedent by accommodating multi-millionaire turncoats from other political parties.

"Imran Khan has dirtied politics by ignoring his ideological party workers and giving preference to moneyed deserters from other parties," he said while speaking at a rally.

The ANP chief came down hard on the PTI-led former provincial government. "Those who claim having brought about a change turned the Peshawar into ruins. The provincial capital is now wearing the look of an archaeological site," he said sarcastically.

Criticising the religio-political parties, Asfandyar Wali Khan said Islam was used after every five years to bag votes in the elections. "Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief can stop the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by making a phone call but he never motivated [former prime minister] Nawaz Sharif to enforce Islamic system in the country," he said.

Former Railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique remarked on Sunday that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan needed to be taught a lesson in the upcoming polls.

Addressing an electoral campaign in Lahore’s Bedian area, PML-N leader Saad Rafique said Imran won’t learn his lesson until his defeat in all the five constituencies he was contesting from.

Saad will be facing Imran in NA-131 Lahore. He further said all those involved in hatching conspiracies and engaging in politics of hurling abuses will be defeated.

“The politics of ethics will prove to be victorious. The nation and the democracy will the ultimate winners.”

Addressing a corner meeting in Narowal, former interior and planning minister Ahsan Iqbal took a dig at the PTI Chairman Imran Khan. “Pakistan is an atomic power that cannot be handed over to an inexperienced person,” he said.

Recalling the achievements of the PML-N government, Iqbal said, “We broke the backbone of terrorists and promoted peace.” “The PML-N generated 10,000MW of electricity and steered the country out of darkness,” he continued.