LAHORE: The PPP on Saturday took out a torch-bearing rally as part of its candidate Faisal Mir’s campaign for NA-120 by-poll with its Punjab leaders declaring that this time the people would punish the Sharif family with their votes.

A number of PPP activists took part in the rally which started from Regal Chowk and ended at Charing Cross. Carrying placards and banners, they raised spirited slogans in favour of party founder late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, his slain daughter Benazir Bhutto and her son Bilawal Bhutto.

PPP Punjab President Qamar Zaman Kaira in his speech said the people were asking why the elder Sharif went out of the country.

“You people are expert in escaping from the country after striking deals,” he said, adding “this time no deal would work (in your favour) and the court of people would punish you with their votes.”

He said the PML-N got unnerved when the PPP started its series of public meetings from Chiniot. Now, even Chaudhry Nisar admitted there was no comparison between the late Benazir Bhutto and Maryam Nawaz.

He said the election day would prove that the angry PPP activists had returned to their party, serving it with a renewed zeal.

PPP Central Information Secretary Chaudhry Manzoor while addressing Mr Nawaz Sharif said, “Your younger brother joined you in London to ask you not to return to the country, and you have agreed.”

“As to how the family of Shahbaz Sharif can remain safe (from accountability) if the family of his elder brother would face the music. This time everyone would go to the jail and the PPP would gain all votes in the by-election to NA-120,” he said.

Lamenting violations of poll code by PML-N, he said, “The election commission should be closed down if it cannot stop violations of its code of conduct for the election.”

Faisal Mir said the rally had proved that the PPP was still the most popular party in Lahore. By boycotting the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf meeting on Friday, the Lahorites had burst the “artificial Tsunami bubble”, he said.

He warned the PML-N and the Punjab government of a “matching response” in case of any attack on any of his party offices.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2017