Islamabad: Election campaigning by different parties kicked off in various parts of Pakistan on Sunday.
According to Radio Pakistan, the Pakistan Muslim League-N wass set to start its election campaign in Karachi on Mondays.
Party president Shehbaz Sharif was visiting Karachi on Sunday to participate in different ceremonies and address a gathering in the city.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan was to address a public rally in Mianwali on Sunday.
He was set to launch his election campaign from his home constituency, NA-95.
In a statement, Khan said if voted into power, his party would transform Pakistan according to the vision of the country’s founding fathers Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal. He said the PTI will turn the dream of a great Pakistan into realisation.
Elsewhere, Awami Muslim League chief Sheaikh Rashid Ahmad started his election campaign in Rawalpindi.
Speaking on the occasion, he said his party was confident of victory in the upcoming general elections.
Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Dr Hassan Askari has said that holding of peaceful, transparent, unbiased and impartial elections was the foremost priority of the government and every step would be taken to achieve the purpose.
The chief minister said: “We will not disappoint our nation in this regard.” He said that the interim government was vigilant to deliver its national responsibility for free and fair elections.
He said that the administration would carry out its duty impartially across the province and perform within the framework given by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The government has already begun to perform its duties in this respect and every possible cooperation is being extended to the ECP, he said and added that all necessary facilities would be provided for making the electoral process successful.
Dr Hassan Askari said that voters would also be given a chance to use their right to vote in a peaceful and free environment. The chief minister said that strategy has been devised to carry out elections peacefully and keeping in view this strategy the government would ensure healthier environment for voters.
Along with this, the caretaker government, in its limited time period, was taking steps to provide relief to the public by minimising their sufferings, he added.
Dr Askari said that provision of education, health and other basic facilities was government’s responsibility and remaining within its constitutional limits, the caretaker government was taking steps in this regard.
He directed the departments concerned to perform their duties honestly to provide basic facilities to the public.
Meanwhile, a visible surge was witnessed in the number of minorities candidates from province of Punjab coupled with the federal capital that showed interest to come forward and contest in the upcoming general elections raising the number from 56 in last polls to 232 this time.
According to official data of ECP, a total number of 625 minorities candidates filed nomination papers to returning officers for contesting general elections 2018 for National Assembly as well as provincial assembly slots as compared to 310 in general elections 2013.
As many as 154 candidates are in the run to get a seat in the National Assembly while 471 are willing to book their seat in provincial houses.
About 73 minorities candidates submitted nomination papers from Khaber -Pakhtunkha including Federally Administered Tribal Areas as compared to 70 in last election five years back in 2013. While a sneak dip was observed in the number of candidates from Balochistan, where only 56 candidates are willing to be part of the provincial house as compared to 61 last time.
Whereas in Sindh, this number was of interested candidates dropped from 123 in 2013 to 110 for the general polls 2018. Overall the total number of candidates who filed nomination papers for grabbing a slot in national and provincial houses has dropped from 28,302 in last general elections to 21,482 for the upcoming general elections scheduled to be held next month.
