Electoral contest: Fickle leaders don’t get votes, says Hamza

He was in Burewala for PP-232 by-election campaign

BUREWALA: “Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan should come up with a new political strategy for his party. After the party staged a sit-in in front of the parliament for 126 days, it lost several by-elections. Its leaders should not drag their supporters into the same mess once again,” National Assembly Member Hamza Shahbaz said on Saturday.

He was talking to newsmen during a visit to Burewala. He was there to campaign for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate for PP-232 by-elections.

He met several party leaders and addressed several corner meetings.

“The PTI leaders calling for accountability of the corrupt should be shown a mirror.”

“Imran only believes in abusing people and creating hurdles in the way of development,” he said. “What gives the PTI the right to demand accountability while Jahangir Tareen has had bank loans written off using political influence and Aleem Khan is sitting on land which belongs to other people?”

Hamza said the government would fulfil its election promises. “We promised to end the energy shortfall by 2018. We are on our way to achieving that goal. There is honour in serving the people. There is no honour in making a fool of them for your own interests.”

Hamza said the PTI had fulfilled none of its election campaign promises in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif believes in serving the people responsibly. Pakistan is being pulled out of darkness. It is on the road to progress,” he said

He said the elections in Kashmir, where the PML-N had secured 32 seats and the PTI two seats, showed that the people trusted the ruling party.

“The PTI did not get votes because its leaders were seen as fickle.”

Responding to a question, Hamza said local bodies would become functional soon. “The provincial government is setting up offices for them,” he said. Hamza said the provincial government was working on improving health care and education across the province as a top priority.

“In the 2018 general election, everyone will find out who has secured peoples’ confidence by serving them,” he said.

Hamza later visited the residence of PML-N candidate Yousuf Kasaila and offered condolences on the death of his father.

He also held meetings with the chairman, vice chairmen and party workers of 16 union councils in relation to the by-elections in PP-232 on August 31.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 21^st, 2016.