ISLAMABAD: With general elections almost a month away, several political parties on Sunday formally launched their electoral campaigns in the country by holding public rallies in different cities. Addressing a gathering in Mianwali, where he launched the party’s election campaign, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his sons should be held accountable for Rs 300 billion corruption, adding that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has ‘expertise’ only in corruption and money laundering. He said in the PML-N’s tenure, the Sharif brothers took the country’s loans from Rs 13,000 billion to Rs 27,000 billion. “All the progress was made only in advertisements,” he claimed, adding that a huge sum of Rs 40 billion was spent on advertisements. Imran Khan is vying to contest the July 25 general election from four constituencies, including Mianwali’s NA-95. ‘Imran’s discourse is old stuff already rejected by people’ —A12 Giving reason for launching his election campaign from Mianwali, Imran said, “I am launching my election campaign from Mianwali for this city supported me when nobody else did. If the residents of Mianwali would not have supported me in 2002, I might not have been doing politics today. By God’s grace, through the efforts of youth of Mianwali, the PTI has become the largest party of Pakistan today. I am launching the election campaign from Mianwali which will subsequently lead to establishment of PTI’s government in country,” he said. On the issues of party tickets, Imran said that he faced immense pressure on the matter as everyone was asking for tickets. “All my relatives from Mianwali were asking for tickets… Nawaz and Zardari distributed tickets among relatives, but I didn’t,” he said, adding that party tickets for the general elections 2018 were given on the basis of merit. He said he had received 4,500 applications for tickets and it was impossible to award tickets to all of them as only 500 candidates were to be granted tickets to the maximum. PML-N nominates candidates against Nisar —A4 Imran vowed to collect Rs 8,000 billion tax from the country after getting into power. He said Pakistan was the fifth biggest country in terms of giving charity. “Governor houses and rest houses will be spared for people,” he said. He also vowed to strengthen FIA and NAB and reform police, education and health sector. “We will give historical party manifesto for the election,” he said. PTI finalises list of candidates for elections —A5 In Peshawar, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), a coalition of religious parties, held a rally at the Ring Road to kick-start their election campaign on Sunday. Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Sirajul Haq addressed the gathering and said the public needs to rid the country of corrupt mafia through vote. He said that the leaders of the parties included in the coalition don’t have their names in Panama Papers. He said that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had failed to hold accountable the corrupt people and now public will do it. MMA leader Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman said that the Muslim world is looking towards Pakistan for the resolution of their issues. Similarly, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi began his electoral campaign from his home constituency of NA-57, Murree, on Sunday. Abbasi addressed a rally in Kahutam, officially kick-starting his campaign. In his address, the former premier praised party supremo Nawaz Sharif and his government for undertaking various development projects across the country. Prior to the rally, residents protested against Abbasi for failing to fulfill promises made by him for the region during his campaign for the previous general election. In Rawalpindi, Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid kicked off his election campaign on Sunday. The AML chief, who set off on a tour of his constituency on a motorcycle, while speaking to media men said that he is thinking of replacing his party symbol from the current pen and a bottle of ink to a motorcycle. “When I come into power, I will ensure the completion of Nulla Leh Highway Express project and Ghazi-Barotha Hydropower Project,” he vowed. “I will also bring back the wealth looted by thieves,” he said. Rashid expressed confidence that he will get a ‘record’ number of votes from both his Rawalpindi seats (NA-60 and NA-62). “AML and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will win all seats from Rawalpindi,” he claimed. “No matter what the situation is, elections need to be held on time,” he stressed. Rashid will be contesting the general election from two Rawalpindi constituencies – NA-60 and NA-62. PTI has not fielded its candidates against Rashid in both the constituencies. However, the AML chief is competing against PML-N candidate Barrister Danial Chaudhry for the NA-62 seat. Meanwhile, the PML-N will officially launch its election campaign on June 25 (today) from Karachi. PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif will be coming to Karachi on a two-day visit. He is expected to address the party rally and also visit constituencies where the party has fielded its candidates. PML-N leader and former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique Sunday said that PTI chief Imran Khan needs to be taught a lesson in the upcoming polls. Addressing an election rally in Lahore’s Bedian area, he said that Imran won’t learn a lesson until he faces defeat in all five constituencies he is contesting from. Khawaja Saad Rafique will be contesting against Imran Khan from NA-131 (Lahore) in the forthcoming general election. Rafique thanked Imran for contesting the polls against him. He further said that all those involved in hatching conspiracies and engaging in politics of hurling abuses will be defeated. “The politics of ethics will prove to be victorious. The nation and the democracy will be the ultimate winners.” Published in Daily Times, June 25th 2018.