Vote for change: One million volunteers to guard elections says Khan

PTI workers to go door-to-door to inform voters about PTI manifesto.

LAHORE:

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf I Chairperson Imran Khan has said one million Tabdili Razakars (volunteers for change) will be enrolled for deployment at polling stations to thwart any attempt at rigging the coming elections.

Addressing the Tabdili Razakar Convention at Alhamra on Friday to motivate the youth to carry his message of change across the country before general elections, he said the volunteers would go door-to-door to inform voters about the PTI manifesto. He said the volunteers would also highlight the poor record of the rival parties’ candidates. He said 10 volunteers would be deployed at each polling station. The party manifesto would be announced next week.

He said if voted to power, the PTI would introduce merit and hold the corrupt accountable. He said a tough match would be played on the polling day. He said two parties representing the traditional politics were trying to foll the people to continue to rule the country. But this time the youth had decided to bring a change. Nobody and nothing could sway the youth, not even the laptops, he said. The days of corrupt politicians were numbered and the ‘tsunami’ would sweep them away, he said.

Khan criticised Sharifs for keeping 1,260 police guards. People, he said, were dying from hunger while the rulers were taking hefty loans to lead luxurious lives. He said politicians, who had been taking turns to govern the country, had sold the sovereignty of the nation.

He said the coming five weeks were very important and the volunteers should work as frontline soldiers to bring about a change in Pakistan. He said the next election was a war between passion and money. He was sure that passion would prevail.

“I promised 25 per cent tickets for the youth, but in the end 35 to 40 per cent PTI tickets have gone to the youth. The PTI preferred the leaders of future to dirty old politicians. The face of the PTI would become visible after the announcement of the final lists of ticket-holders. He said many ‘electables’ had been refused PTI tickets. The final list would be announced on April 8,” Khan said.

The PTI government would not take foreign loans, it would run the economy honourably on indigenous resources, Khan said.

He said the PTI volunteers would be trained in how to motivate the voters and stop rigging. He said 200,000 volunteers had been enrolled so far and within one week the figure would reach one million.

Earlier, Andalib Abbas highlighted the job of volunteers and a video was played to inform them about their duties. Two bands played party songs.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6^th, 2013.