LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has stepped up electioneering for the NA-120 by-polls by organising processions and delivering hard-hitting speeches.

The PTI is ready to use its most valuable card as PTI MPA Shoaib Siddiqui has written to the deputy commissioner seeking permission to hold a rally at Qartaba Chowk, outskirts of NA-120, on Friday where PTI Chairman Imran Khan will speak.

Mr Siddiqui sought security and other necessary arrangements to hold the rally in a peaceful manner. He also informed the district administration that the seating arrangements would be made on Jail Road.

The venue was selected to honour the code of conduct by the Election Commission of Pakistan that bars electioneering by parliamentarians.

On Wednesday, the PTI took out a procession from Darbar Baba Chhatriwala near Azadi Chowk to Charing Cross. The power show was led by party candidate Dr Yasmin Rashid. The procession was on its way to Charing Cross by the time we went into the press at 10pm.

Dr Rashid briefly spoke to reporters and said the voters were now aware of good and bad and would consciously poll their votes to the PTI to turn around their fate.

Dr Rashid said she was not contesting the election against a candidate but provincial and federal governments. Though the PML-N candidate was abroad for her treatment, she said, the PML-N was lavishly utilising the public resources and violating the code of conduct by continuing development works and campaign by elected representatives.

She said Maryam was trying to deceive the masses on the disqualification of Mr Sharif and added that she would tell the masses why the prime minister was ousted. She said she was personally visiting every voter. She said Mr Sharif represented the constituency for four years but people were still facing the shortage of safe drinking water and proper drainage system.

Earlier, Dr Rashid visited the grave of Maj Shabbir, offered Fateha and participated in a ceremony organised by the PTI Azad Kashmir.

The Kashmiri clan announced at the ceremony that it would support the PTI in the by-polls.

At the Defence Day ceremony, PTI leaders Asad Umer, AJK assembly member Ghulam Mohyuddin Dewan, Waleed Iqbal and Dr Yasmin Rashid said the 1965 war martyrs had given a new lease of life to the Pakistani nation. They said civilians had also come out along with the army men to defeat India.

MARYAM: Former PM Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz reviewed the election campaign in Model Town, where she was briefed about a survey report that the PML-N would win the election easily.

The meeting also identified different localities in the constituency, where the PML-N vote bank had squeezed. Party leaders stressed the need for intensifying the election campaign and persuade disgruntled voters to support the party.

Speaking to party leaders and workers, Ms Nawaz said the masses had not accepted Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification and would vent their anger by giving maximum votes to his wife Kulsoom Nawaz.

“Panama, Iqama and disqualification are drama to oust the prime minister,” she said.

She also visited Bibi Pak Daman shrine and paid homage.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2017