LAHORE, Feb 16: As his cell phone rang, his joy knew no bounds. Mr ABC was waiting for a call from his friend in the United States. And the CLI showed that that it was his number.

However, as he picked up the phone, “on line” was former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Then a recorded message was played. The words were similar to the ones mentioned in the PML-N election campaign ads.

Mr Sharif was saying he was sorry that the addressee was facing problems, his children were jobless and he was having to wait in long queues to get eatables at subsidized rates.

It ended with an appeal that everybody should spare some time on Feb 18 to exercise their right to vote which he believed would change the country’s destiny.

This was the first time the listener got a cell phone call meant for campaigning. —Political Correspondent