Pakistani political rallies have been transformed in recent years to festive blowouts, designed to entertain as much as inspire supporters to vote.

The formula was first perfected by Asif Butt — better known by his stage persona DJ Butt — an erstwhile wedding DJ who first shot to fame when he played a rally for Imran Khan in 2011.

It was there that the Lahore-based DJ began to perfect his craft, playing contemporary songs to warm up the crowd and musical interludes to the speeches on stage -- injecting some dramatic theatre into long stretches of oratory.

Political parties in Pakistan have used music as a way of spreading slogans and unifying supporters since the rise of pop music in the late 1980s.

Read more here how the rhythms of political rallies are filling a vital space, providing the music-obsessed masses with a space to dance and cut loose.