RAWALPINDI: PML-N resumed its election campaign after a five-day break in Rawalpindi’s city and cantonment areas.

Local party leaders and workers have said the police action against them amounts to pre-poll rigging and said the caretaker government stopped the party’s campaign for five days in order to benefit the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

PML-N’s election campaign is back in full swing and candidates have changed their strategy to going door-to-door and holding public meetings as well. In the cantonment areas, people who were angry with the party’s leaders also invited them to hold public gatherings in their areas.

Police action against workers was a blessing in disguise that led workers and leaders to work together, party leader says

A senior PML-N leader told Dawn that the party had already submitted an application with the district administration for a public meeting in Liaquat Bagh on July 23 and Shahbaz Sharif is expected to address the people then.

The confinement of Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz in Adiala jail has reenergised party workers and supporters and they are working more now, he said, adding that election candidates are paying more attention to their constituencies as well.

He said police action against workers had come as a blessing in disguise for the party as workers and leaders had set aside their differences and were working together.

“Workers are also very sympathetic towards Maryam Nawaz and many women workers are coming out of the house and launching door-to-door campaigns, raising awareness about the way Nawaz Sharif’s daughter is being treated,” he said.

“PML-N workers in the Cantt areas were angry regarding the water shortage but [after the confinement of Sharif and Maryam], they have set aside their differences and are participating in public gatherings. Old party workers in Seham, Chour Chowk and Allahabad are inviting election candidates for public gatherings,” he said.

“We resumed the election campaign but the police action against our workers wasted the time of our candidates as they were shuttling between police stations and courts to get their workers released,” said PML-N Metropolitan President Sardar Naseem.

Talking to Dawn, he said the people of Rawalpindi are with the PML-N and the participation in corner meetings and public gatherings are a proof of this.

Workers and supporters are planning on going to Adiala jail on Thursday to meet Nawaz Sharif and Maryam, he added and that local leaders had told them to pay attention to the election campaign as winning will be the best answer to the treatment the party is receiving.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2018