ISLAMABAD, Oct 7: As the countdown to elections nears, the capital witnessed one of the busiest days on Sunday since the electioneering began, as some 50 corner meetings were held in and around the city by 28 contestants for the two national assembly seats.

Both the urban and rural parts of the capital were decorated with colourful banners, posters and party flags. The PPP flags hoisted on rooftops and election offices out numbered those of other parties.

By and large, the campaigns remained peaceful and only one incident of firing was reported during the five weeks of electioneering, and that too caused no injury or any loss of property.

Syed Nayar Hussain Bukhari, the PPP candidate for NA-49, held some six corner meetings on Sunday.

During his speeches, he was confident that the PPP would sweep the polls and form government in the centre as well as in all the provinces with the “help of like-minded parties and individuals”.

He pledged to “bring the country back to the path of prosperity and development” and deal with the “losses incurred due to the inefficiency of the military government”.

Babar Awan, the PPP candidate for NA-48, held more than three corner meetings, which were also attended by delegations from different villages. In his speeches, he claimed that he had a comprehensive plan to bring Islamabad on a par with the modern US and Western cities.

Syed Zafar Ali Shah, the PML-N candidate for NA-48, said if voted to power, he would work for repealing all laws introduced by the military government and focus on the uplift of the downtrodden masses.

Mian Mohammad Aslam, the MMA candidate for NA-48, speaking at several corner meetings, pledged to lead the country to a new era of development with maximum focus on bringing all the civic amenities on the doorsteps of the people.

Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, the PML-N candidate for NA-49, in his speeches in rural areas, said his party would make the “bureaucracy a true public servant instead of being masters”.

Capt Malik Rab Nawaz Chaudhary (retired), the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf candidate for NA-49, while holding corner meetings, pledged to “recover all the looted wealth of the nation” and introduce a fool-proof accountability system in the country.

Col Sana Ullah Raja (retired), the Pakistan Awami Tehrik candidate for NA-48, said, if voted to power, his party would make the country a true welfare state and focus all its attention on foreign debt retirement and provision of free utility services to the poor.

Rao Javed Ali Khan, the People’s Democratic Party candidate for NA-48, while meeting different labour and trade union leaders, said after coming into power, his party would ensure a permanent end to any possibility of military takeover.

Mohammad Shafique Chaudhary, the PML-J candidate for NA-48, talking to party workers and meeting notables of the city, said he would establish medical and engineering colleges in the capital and try to introduce only one system of education.

Alamgir Khan, an independent candidate from NA-48 and a dissident of PML-Q, speaking at corner meetings in kutcha abadis, pledged to give ownership rights to the dwellers, besides providing them all civic amenities.