LAHORE, Feb 16: Despite the official deadline for campaigning lapsed on Saturday midnight, workers of political parties say they will continue the door-to-door canvassing to persuade people to vote for them.
They admit the runaway bomb blasts and suicide bombings have created a massive panic among people who are reluctant to come out of their houses.
The panic-ridden environment is not the only reason for the people to stay away from the polling stations. The public has lost faith in Feb 18 elections due to pervasive sense of despondency over the state of basic facilities like electricity, gas and hike in prices of essentials.
But the election campaigns involving good money seem to be aloof to the state of prevailing affairs. A look around the roads and streets proves that a lot of money has been spilled over lighting, banners, streamers and small party offices, which mostly appear deserted.
An election office set up in Garhi Shahu, brimming with light under powerful tube-lights, is absent of either party workers or voters. A man selling tea at a distance says: “How can you expect people sitting around this office when the person, who has set it up does not attend to it himself.”
Mending shoes along the roadside, Muhammad Ilyas said the atmosphere around here appeared to be of festivity.
“I will think about going out and casting my vote. If there is going to be any law and order situation, I will prefer staying back home,” said Muhammad Latif, a worker at a furniture shop on Habibullah Road.
“I will rather pray that Allah sends an honest person to lead us this time around,” the owner of the furniture shop, Muhammad Ilyas said. “I am saddened by the state of affairs. The governments came and went but could not ensure (continuous supply of) electricity,” he added.
“We have tried army and the civilian governments too. I think this time around we should give the maulvis a chance,” he said.
The man, who sells banners to candidates contesting the election, said the holding of elections was the need of the hour.
He said it did not matter if he voted or not because the party with the bicycle symbol would manage the balloting itself. “I am afraid the election would not be able to usher in a change for the good. The current situation indicates that the worse is impending,” he said.
Talking to Dawn from DG Khan, Punjab PML-N president Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa said though the frequent bombings had created a scare among people, their willingness to come out and vote varied from district to district. “Last night I addressed a rally which was heavily participated,” he added.
Mr Khosa said the government was making no bones about the bombings, which scared the people and served as a setback to the political parties.
He said that political parties were going to polls amid massive rigging, which was continuing in several forms.
“Send photographers to my constituency and you will still find development work like laying of gas pipelines and road construction still continuing,” he said. “When the elections were hours ahead, such a work was officially banned,” he added.
Mr Khosa said that political parties would have to make efforts to bring voters out. “I think every candidate will have to cater to the transport for the voters, especially the women and the elderly,” he said.
“You have to reason with most voters to persuade them to come out and vote for you. We tell them no matter what political affiliations they have, casting votes is responsibility, which should be fulfilled at any cost. We have formed teams, comprising women mostly, to go from door-to-door to make people vote,” he said.