ISLAMABAD: After meeting to devise a strategy to contest the forthcoming local government elections, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) legislators from Islamabad on Thursday claimed that they will trounce the 13-party group.

“During the meeting, it was observed that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was only able to nominate 84 candidates on 101 seats of the union councils (UCs) in Islamabad. On the other hand, the PTI has given tickets to 97 candidates,” Member National Assembly (MNA) Ali Nawaz Awan said while talking to Dawn.

He said it should be embarrassing for the PDM that it could not find candidates even for UCs.

“Moreover, on three seats our candidates have won unopposed. On four seats, there is contest among workers of the PTI as the PDM could not find any candidate there,” Mr Awan said.

Says polls would prove to be a precursor to victory of ‘Haqeeqi Azadi Movement’

While chairing the meeting, PTI Central Secretary General Asad Umar said the forthcoming local government elections in the federal capital would prove to be a precursor to the victory of the ‘Haqeeqi Azadi Movement’ as the PTI would easily trounce the alliance of 13 parties.

He said that the PTI had fielded a large number of hardworking,

loyal and capable workers for the LG polls.

However, he added that the 13-party group was struggling even to find a candidate for the LG polls.

According to a statement, during the meeting, the participants held detailed discussion on the preparations for local body elections in Islamabad, the modus operandi of the election campaign and other issues, including the PTI’s election manifesto.

The meeting also reviewed the formation of mobilisation committees at the level of union councils in the three constituencies of the National Assembly in Islamabad.

Asad Umar said the PTI was the centre of people’s hopes, because Imran Khan was the only leader. He said the success in the local elections would lay the foundation of a new era of construction and development in the city.

The participants of the meeting also discussed preparations and planning for effective media campaign for the elections.

They also finalised the schedule of public gatherings across Islamabad. Party office-bearers were instructed to run effective election campaign at all levels.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2022