MANSEHRA: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders, who are contesting the national and provincial assembly elections as independents, jointly launched their election campaign here on Tuesday.

“We are in an electoral race with the aim of steering the country out of economic and political turmoil after assuming power. We’re confident of grabbing people’s votes as all other mainstream parties, which were part of the last PDM government, were to blame for the record inflation and high poverty levels,” PTI leader and NA-14 candidate Saleem Imran Swati told a public meeting after inaugurating the “central election office” of the former ruling party in Sandysar here.

Former adviser to the chief minister Babar Saleem Swati, who had gone into hiding after the May 9 violent protests to avoid arrest, also attended the event and sought vote for PTI leaders.

Mr Saleem claimed that the PTI was the country’s single largest political party and the conspiracies being hatched against it would fail.

He said the PTI was first denied the election symbol of its choice and then symbols of its leaders contesting polls as independents were changed without their consent.

Mr Babar, a PK-37 candidate, insisted that authorities had deprived PTI leaders of the right to speech.

He said people should vote for the former ruling party’s leaders to put “democracy back on track in the country.”

On the occasion, PK-36 candidate Munir Hussain Lughmani said PTI leaders demanded a level playing field in the run-up to the Feb 8 elections as their basic and constitutional right.

Also in the day, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz began its election campaign in Mansehra district.

“People want to see Nawaz Sharif back in power to revive the economy and lead the country to prosperity,” PML-N candidate in NA-14 Sardar Mohammad Yusuf told a gathering after inaugurating the party’s central election office in Balakot tehsil here.

Mr Yusuf said the PTI’s wrong policies and its corruption led the country to enormous economic challenges.

He claimed that the PML-N would form a government in the centre and all provinces after sweeping polls.

PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s son-in-law retired Captain Mohammad Safdar, who was also present, said the people wanted a “real change” in the form of PML-N at the helm for national development.

“Nawaz Sharif will put the country on the path to economic development to become the Asian Tiger,” he said.

PML-N nominee for PK-36 Junaid Qasim also addressed participants.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2024