LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, while addressing an election rally on Jail Road on Friday, said that NA-120 by-election was not a normal election, as it would decide the future of Pakistan.
“You should thank the Supreme Court (SC) by voting against the corrupt in NA-120, as earlier only small thieves were jailed but now a decision has been given against powerful doctors.” He said that if the people would give vote to the ‘lion’, the future of Pakistan would be destroyed. “Give it some thought before you vote in favour of Nawaz Sharif. Voting for him will mean that you have given the dacoits a free pass to do whatever they want. Remember that you have to vote against the dacoits.”
He also questioned the silence of the city police, asking them how could they tolerate torture of PTI women by PML-N goons.
He said that the ‘silent vote’ of the constituency NA-120 would give favour to the PTI, as the people were silent to avoid consequences at the hands of PML-N goons at the local level in their areas.
He said state machinery was fully being used in by-election, but believed that the people would disown the ruling party on the polling day.
He also questioned how the Sharif family’s children accumulated assets overnight. He declared the letter of Qatari prince a fraud, and suggested Maryam Nawaz to inform people how she made money. He criticised the Sharifs for not building state-of-the-art hospitals in Pakistan that could have treated Kulsoom Nawaz in the country. He said that the voter lists in the constituency should be verified by photos, as 29,000 votes were missing in NA-120.
Imran also paid tribute to a late prominent figure of Bhati area, Mazhar Iqbal alias Bhalli Butt, and urged the people to vote for PTI candidate Dr Yasmin on September 17.
He said that votes in NA-120 by-polls would decide the direction for Pakistan, as the results in the constituency would strengthen the bold decision of judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan against plunderers of the country.
He said that the people of Lahore would now become aware of the looters, adding that they should not bother about what Maryam Nawaz Sharif was saying. He urged the people of the constituency to vote for Dr Yasmin Rashid for ‘change’ and ‘New Pakistan’.
He asked the PTI workers from across the city to reach all polling stations on the polling day to stop any kind of rigging by the ruling party, who – according to him – was using all resources of the government, including the police, for getting support of locals for their candidate in NA-120.
The PTI chairman was of the view that the people of Lahore would not want an election like 2013 that was full of rigging.
He urged every voter of the NA-120 constituency to reach the polling stations and use their right of vote in favour of PTI candidate Dr Yasmin on the polling day to save their future from looters and plunderers, who made palaces in Jati Umra but did not provide clean drinking water to the poor people of the constituency.
He also saluted his party candidate Dr Yasmin Rashid for her fight against the provincial and federal governments and not just against a member of the Sharif family. He was optimistic about the win of Dr Yasmin on September 17.
He also praised the courts for giving unprecedented and historic justice to the nation in Panama case by giving verdict against the most powerful elite.
Earlier, Dr Yasmin while addressing the gathering promised the voters of NA-120 that she would provide clean drinking water to the constituency after winning the by-election. She again challenged Maryam Nawaz to an open debate on PTV regarding why her father Nawaz Sharif was ousted.
Earlier, Imran Khan met Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen leaders, including Ahmad Iqbal Rizvi, at their office in Shadman, who later announced to support the PTI candidate in the by-election in NA-120. Later, they held a joint press conference and announced the said decision.
A large number of PTI workers, including women and children, participated in the rally. PTI leaders Ch Sarwar, Aleem Khan, Shafqat Mehmood and others were also present on stage.
Published in Daily Times, September 9th 2017.
