Geo News begins its election transmission

LAHORE: Geo News formally launched its special ‘Election 2018 Headquarters’ transmission on Tuesday.

Earlier, Geo News comprehensively covered Election 2008, Election 2013, and now in 2018, it would again lead other TV channels in coverage of general election, being held on July 25.

The first show of the transmission was hosted by Rabia Anam and Muneeb Farooq. Rabia said most reputable and experienced analysts would be part of the transmission and political leaders and election candidates would be asked questions about their performance in the past and future plans. The special transmission would run from Monday to Friday every week.

Election 2018 Headquarters in charge Suhail Warraich said Geo News was taking forward its tradition of special election transmission. He said the transmission would have full support from such professions who work really hard in their respective fields. All those appearing on Geo News screen have earned a name through hard work. He said the staff would collect reports from all constituencies all across country and present them for Geo News viewers. All this process is completed with contribution from thousand of people, he added.

Muneeb Farooq said one of the issues being discussed currently was allotment of election symbol ‘Jeep’ to a large number of seasoned politicians who are contesting the upcoming polls as Independent candidates.

Another host Aasia said all arrangements have been completed at Geo News Islamabad Bureau Office to conduct the Election 2018 transmission.

Shahab Umar from Quetta told the hosts at headquarters that reporters and staff at Election Cell Quetta were working day and night to make arrangements for proving the latest information about election activities to the headquarters.

Shahadat Hussain in Multan said lection activities were gaining momentum in his city and all parties and candidates were holding corner meetings and rallies. Qaseem Saeed told the transmission hosts from Karachi that certainly Geo News was going to conduct the biggest election 2018 transmission in the days to come. He said as Karachi was Geo News headquarters, workers there were busy 24 hours a day to complete all arrangements. Anchorperson Muhammad Junaid said the entire Geo team was fully ready to collect information, news stories about election campaigns and comments by experts to keep its viewers updated in all manners.

Senior analyst Talat Hussain said the decision against Nawaz Sharif in Avenfield reference was being announced on July 6 while he is passing through hard times. How the PML-N would take this verdict as a party and what plan Mian Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz would made after the verdict, would be big stories before the elections. He said these could be such big stories which could disrupt even the normal election coverage.

Hamid Mir said everybody believes that the court would pronounce verdict against Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz on July 6, as whatever proceedings have taken place in the court so far seem going against them. However, if Nawaz would return to Pakistan before elections, it would benefit the PML-N.

Saleem Safi said elections normally prove to be good omen for democracy. But this time, it is feared that these election may prove a bad omen not only for democracy but also even for the country.