Last word: Parties make final pleas as electioneering ends
At the stroke of midnight, Imran, Nawaz, Bilawal, Munawwar, Fazl conclude campaigns.
A young woman chants slogans in support of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan at a rally for his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf on May 9, 2013 in Islamabad. PHOTO: Myra Iqbal?Express
MULTAN/ISLAMABAD/LAHORE/BANNU:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan gave an impassioned speech to his supporters via video link from his hospital bed in Lahore, while Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto, in a rare appearance, launched a last-minute appeal for votes for his party, also via video link.
Unlike Imran Khan and Bilawal, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Munawar Hassan personally addressed rallies in Lahore and Islamabad, respectively.
Imran attracts largest crowd
Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan predicted a “Naya Pakistan” on May 11, as he addressed a crowd of 25,000 supporters in D-chowk of Islamabad by video link from the hospital.
The PTI chief has been ordered by doctors to remain immobile after suffering fractured vertebrae and a broken rib on Tuesday after falling from a forklift at a rally in Lahore.
“This (elections) is a final sprint for a nation,” said Imran from his bed in the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital on Thursday.
“I’m happy today as our nation stands on the right track – from here we can start our journey now to make a Naya Pakistan.”
In his nine-minute speech, the PTI chief asked people of Sindh how many times they would sell themselves on the name of the Bhuttos.
He urged the people of Fata, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to come out of their homes with their women to cast their votes and bring peace through the ballot. Finally, Imran urged the people of Punjab to give his party a chance this time for better governance by rejecting those who served five times and failed to deliver.
Sharif concludes campaign
Nawaz Sharif concluded the PML-N’s election campaign in Lahore’s constituency NA-122, where the party faces Imran Khan in the upcoming polls on Saturday.
Although Nawaz was scheduled to address three gatherings in the city, he preferred to deliver his main address in Samanabad.
In his final speech, he chose to mostly lash out at the PTI and PPP for their alleged ‘covert partnership’ and ‘negative campaign’ against his party.
He said that all criticism, either in print and electronic media or in speeches, was against the PML-N.
‘Ideological conspiracy’
Bilawal Bhutto addressed thousands of PPP supporters who had gathered at Bhara Kahu in Islamabad’s NA-49, where PPP’s Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar is contesting the elections.
He said Pakistan was being subjected to an “ideological conspiracy” and citizens must vote for the PPP to foil this conspiracy.
“The country is being made a target of a huge conspiracy which is even bigger than the threat from terrorists,” he said. “It is a conspiracy to make us slaves to a particular ideology.”
Bilawal hinted that some political parties were colluding with “certain institutions” to bring about a legislature that is not ideologically diverse.
He also criticised political parties that have alleged ties with militant groups.
People have to unite against “zalim-e-aala,” said Bilawal while addressing the people of south Punjab.
“The target of the lion is the poor people of Pakistan but we have empowered and armed our people with arrows to hunt all these lions,” claimed Bilawal.
JI and JUI-F
The JI mobilised a crowd of 7,000 people at the Sitara Market in Islamabad’s NA-48 constituency. JI Ameer Munawar Hasan said his party wanted to bring about a revolution in the mindsets of people. He said the problems facing society would go away if the values preached by the Holy Quran and Sunnah are upheld.
“Vote for the JI to pave the way for a real revolution,” Hassan said
Meanwhile, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman addressed activists in Bannu on Thursday, where he prayed for the swift recovery of Imran Khan but also claimed he was ‘supported by a Jewish lobby’.
During his final address, the JUI-F leader said that his party would implement the ‘essence’ of Islam in Pakistan which would solve all of Pakistan’s problems.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 10th, 2013.
Election frontrunners made one last attempt to win over potential voters as midnight marked the end of political campaigning ahead of Saturday’s historic polls.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan gave an impassioned speech to his supporters via video link from his hospital bed in Lahore, while Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto, in a rare appearance, launched a last-minute appeal for votes for his party, also via video link.
Unlike Imran Khan and Bilawal, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Munawar Hassan personally addressed rallies in Lahore and Islamabad, respectively.
Imran attracts largest crowd
Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan predicted a “Naya Pakistan” on May 11, as he addressed a crowd of 25,000 supporters in D-chowk of Islamabad by video link from the hospital.
The PTI chief has been ordered by doctors to remain immobile after suffering fractured vertebrae and a broken rib on Tuesday after falling from a forklift at a rally in Lahore.
“This (elections) is a final sprint for a nation,” said Imran from his bed in the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital on Thursday.
“I’m happy today as our nation stands on the right track – from here we can start our journey now to make a Naya Pakistan.”
In his nine-minute speech, the PTI chief asked people of Sindh how many times they would sell themselves on the name of the Bhuttos.
He urged the people of Fata, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to come out of their homes with their women to cast their votes and bring peace through the ballot. Finally, Imran urged the people of Punjab to give his party a chance this time for better governance by rejecting those who served five times and failed to deliver.
Sharif concludes campaign
Nawaz Sharif concluded the PML-N’s election campaign in Lahore’s constituency NA-122, where the party faces Imran Khan in the upcoming polls on Saturday.
Although Nawaz was scheduled to address three gatherings in the city, he preferred to deliver his main address in Samanabad.
In his final speech, he chose to mostly lash out at the PTI and PPP for their alleged ‘covert partnership’ and ‘negative campaign’ against his party.
He said that all criticism, either in print and electronic media or in speeches, was against the PML-N.
‘Ideological conspiracy’
Bilawal Bhutto addressed thousands of PPP supporters who had gathered at Bhara Kahu in Islamabad’s NA-49, where PPP’s Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar is contesting the elections.
He said Pakistan was being subjected to an “ideological conspiracy” and citizens must vote for the PPP to foil this conspiracy.
“The country is being made a target of a huge conspiracy which is even bigger than the threat from terrorists,” he said. “It is a conspiracy to make us slaves to a particular ideology.”
Bilawal hinted that some political parties were colluding with “certain institutions” to bring about a legislature that is not ideologically diverse.
He also criticised political parties that have alleged ties with militant groups.
People have to unite against “zalim-e-aala,” said Bilawal while addressing the people of south Punjab.
“The target of the lion is the poor people of Pakistan but we have empowered and armed our people with arrows to hunt all these lions,” claimed Bilawal.
JI and JUI-F
The JI mobilised a crowd of 7,000 people at the Sitara Market in Islamabad’s NA-48 constituency. JI Ameer Munawar Hasan said his party wanted to bring about a revolution in the mindsets of people. He said the problems facing society would go away if the values preached by the Holy Quran and Sunnah are upheld.
“Vote for the JI to pave the way for a real revolution,” Hassan said
Meanwhile, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman addressed activists in Bannu on Thursday, where he prayed for the swift recovery of Imran Khan but also claimed he was ‘supported by a Jewish lobby’.
During his final address, the JUI-F leader said that his party would implement the ‘essence’ of Islam in Pakistan which would solve all of Pakistan’s problems.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 10th, 2013.