Shahbaz tells people: Reject verdict against Nawaz through your vote on July 25

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-N President Shahbaz Sharif has said the fervour exhibited by thousands of party supporters at welcoming rally should translate into vote on July 25, and people should express their rejection of the verdict against Nawaz Sharif and their anger by voting for the PML-N candidates on the election day.

While addressing a rally at its culmination point, Harbanspura, on Friday he congratulated people for defying all resistance and successfully holding a “massive rally”. He said people had fulfilled their promise and made their leader proud by turning up in great numbers, not just for Nawaz and the PML-N but for themselves, supremacy of people in a democracy and the respect for their vote.

Shahbaz, who had reached Lohari a night before, started the rally after Friday prayers in an SUV, driven by his son Hamza Shahbaz. Both were wearing ‘Imam Zamins’. The rally started at Lohari Gate and continued to swell along its route through Bhatti Gate, Anarkali, Nasser Bagh, GPO, Regal Chowk, Charing Cross, Governor’s House till Shahbaz announced an end to it at Harbanspura interchange.

The PML-N president had scheduled to take the rally to the airport before Nawaz arrival, but the blockades on the way delayed it.

Talking to the media during the rally, Shahbaz said people had defied all sinister steps, taken by the caretaker government. He said the caretakers had proven themselves as a team of the PTI by doing everything possible to favour it in the upcoming elections. He said the message given by Nawaz through his resilience had resonated with the people, which was why they came out to fight for their rights.

Shahbaz, while pointing to the crowd, said “look at these people, these are youth, men, women and even children, who are celebrating the stand taken by their leader, and they want to pay tribute to him.

“Do they look even remotely threatening to law and order of the city,” he questioned. He said he had assured that the rally would be peaceful, but the double standards of imposition of Section 144 had exposed the bias of the caretaker setup. However, he said the PML-N workers and supporters exhibited an exemplary behaviour, until provoked by the police brutality.