ISLAMABAD, Sept 19: The present government is responsible for the increasing poverty in the country, PML-N candidate from NA-48 constituency, Syed Zafar Ali Shah, said here on Thursday.

He was speaking at a corner-meeting in G-7 sector.

Mr Shah said if authoritarianism was not rejected by the masses in all unison, they would continue to suffer hardships.

He said all fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution stood suspended and no citizen of the country found himself secure.

He expressed concern over the increasing tariff of power and other utility services. He said a common man found it hard to bear the burden. Besides, cases of suicide among unemployed youths were on the rise, he added.

Mr Shah warned the people that “if they failed to make a right choice of their leadership their future generations would never forgive them”.

He also paid rich tributes to Nawaz Sharif for his “landmark achievements like making Pakistan a nuclear power, initiating a peace process in the subcontinent and leading the nation towards prosperity and development”.

MMA: Mian Mohammad Aslam, the MMA candidate from NA-48 constituency, said the past rulers had disappointed the masses through their misdeeds and corruption and now people wanted new and honest leadership.

He was speaking at corner meetings in different residential localities of the capital on Thursday.

He said only the enforcement of Islamic order could help resolve the problems of the country.

PML-J: Chaudhry Mohammad Shafique, the PML-J candidate from the NA-48 constituency, expressed his regret over the government’s support for the PML-Q.

He was speaking at various corner meetings in sectors G-6 and G-7 and other parts of the city.

He was this faction of the PML was being provided funds for their election campaigns. He demanded of the Election Commission to take note of the violation of the law being committed by the PML-Q candidates.