Parties kick off election campaign

Imran Khan addresses rally in Mianwali, Shahbaz Sharif to launch campaign from Karachi

With just 30 days left for Pakistan general elections, political parties have kicked off campaigning across the country to persuade voters with catchy slogans.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf started its election campaign yesterday from Mianwali, the hometown of party chief Imran Khan. A large number of people had gathered in the city to attend the rally.

Imran Khan is vying to contest the July 25 elections from four constituencies, including Mianwali’s NA-95 seat.

“There is a reason to kick off campaign from Mianwali. It is the city whose people elected me to parliament for the first time in 2002 and today situation is that PTI is the single largest political party of the country,” Imran Khan said in a recorded message on Friday.

He hoped that PTI would form the next government in the country after winning elections.

The former ruling party, Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) will officially launch its election campaign today from Karachi.

PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif will arrive in Karachi today for two days where he is expected to address a public rally and also visit the constituencies where the party has fielded its candidates.

PML-N leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi started his election campaign yesterday from his home constituency of NA-57 in Murree.

Abbasi felt embarrassed when he was greeted with banners and placards reminding him of the false promises he had made for development of the area.

Addressing a rally in Kahuta Abbasi praised former prime minister and PML -n’s supreme leader Nawaz Sharif and his government for launching several development projects across the country.

The most interesting scenes were witnessed in Rawalpindi, where Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Shikh Rasheed, known as ‘Pindi Boy’, began his election campaign on a motorcycle.

Taking a tour of his constituency on a motorcycle, Shaikh Rasheed told journalists that he is thinking of replacing his party symbol from the current pen and a bottle of ink to a motorcycle.

Rasheed expressed confidence that he will get a ‘record’ number of votes from both his Rawalpindi seats (NA-60 and NA-62).

Shaikh Rasheed told his constituents that after winning the next month’s election he will ensure completion of Nullah Leh Express Highway and Ghazi Barotha hydropower projects.

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi started his election campaign from his home constituency of NA-57 in Murree.