LAHORE, Sept 18: The forthcoming polls have so far failed to generate any significant election-related economic activity in the city as printers and painters wait with their fingers crossed for orders of publicity material — billboards, banners, posters, stickers, flags, etc. — from candidates and political parties.
This is widely ascribed to stricter government controls over electioneering and the contesting political parties failure to launch their campaigns in a ‘big way’.
“Electioneering is yet to spill over on to streets and roads. Neither parties nor candidates are certain whether the polls will actually be held,” says an Akbari Mandi trader.
“It is an established fact that publicity material contributes as much in creating election fever as public meetings and rallies do in motivating voters,” the trader says.
“There was a lot of publicity by candidates and parties during the electioneering in the last elections even though voters’ turnout remained pretty much lower than was expected. This time there is less spending on publicity material so far. You can well imagine what will be the quantum of turnout,” says a political activist.
“People know about the king, his party and his opponents. But they are yet to see face of his candidates and their challengers. And only the election-related material and paraphernalia will do the job,” says a painter from Royal Park.
Unlike previous elections, the city’s printing presses are not working overtime. Nor have the banner writers got themselves overworked with orders from politicians. “Billboard painters are simply out of the whole game owing to the ban on the display of life-size portraits which were in vogue during the previous polls,” says the painter.
Most of the banners are being prepared through screen printing at factories in Shahdara, Begum Kot, Raiwind and Jora Pul.
“I got my first order three days ago,” Humayun Dogar, the owner of a printing press at Anarkali’s Qutbuddin Aibak Road says. He is, however, expects more customers by end of the week.
A majority of the printers at Hospital Road, or near the shrine of Data Ganj Bakhsh, or in Royal Park complained of less orders due to various reasons, mainly the lack of public interest in the polls.
Pattanga Press owner Muhammad Abbas, who is into thr business for many years and has prepared election-related material during the past 30 years, says he is still awaiting work in anticipation of which he has already employed fresh workers.
He says a major portion of a few orders he has so far received came from other cities. “I am disappointed,” he adds.
Abbas says most printers used to have a roaring business even during the local government polls last year because common people were taking interest. “However, the October elections lack public participation and even many candidates seem unsure about results. This is keeping them from investing much on publicity.”
There are about 4,000 printing presses in Lahore alone and the number of people directly employed by them is said to be close to 100,000. Scores of others are working as agents and in the allied industry like composing, designing, and at shops selling printing materials.
“Elections are a source of income for many and it appears they will have less money this time,” Muhammad Yousaf, a printer says.
It was gathered during interviews with people at Royal Park that the rates have gone down because of fewer customers and stiff competition.
Another printer, Nisar Abbas, says a majority candidates are doubtful of the government’s intentions and fear that the results have already been determined. Therefore, they are refraining from what they say wasting money on the publicity materials.
Interestingly, he says, he had declined several orders due to non-payment of previous bills by some big names. “Such people are, once again, asking for material on credit,” he adds.
Many hope to get more orders after clouds of confusion subside from the political horizon. “The parties contesting the elections have not yet launched campaigns with full force. Once they do so, there would be more orders,” they say.
Most candidates, the printers as well as painters say, who had placed orders belong to the PML-QA. The PML-QA candidates are the ones who are spending money on electioneering. Probably they know that the wind is blowing their way, commented a painter.