Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. — File Photo by AP

LAHORE: While the PML-N is all set to put up an ‘impressive’ show dubbed ‘Go Zardari go’ here on Friday, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf and Pakistan People’s Party have alleged ‘misuse’ of public resources and state machinery to make the rally a success.

The PML-N’s provincial leaders and parliamentarians are busy mobilising workers and ‘motivating’ what the party claims government employees to throng route of the rally, from Nasser Bagh to Bhati Gate. The PML-N will, however, miss its chief Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in Turkey on a private visit. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is expected to lead the rally along with his son Hamza, who had held a number of corner meetings over the past two weeks motivating Lahorites to rise up against what he called “Zardari Raj”.

Speaking to party workers, Shahbaz Sharif said: “The PML-N rally will prove that the masses are with my party in efforts to rid the country of inefficient and corrupt rulers. The people will lay a foundation of a new Pakistan by participating in the rally.”

The PTI is more concerned about its show on Sunday at Minar-i-Pakistan and has accused the PML-N of creating ‘administrative’ hurdles to sabotage its public meeting.

“The PML-N is warning transporters against carrying our workers from other cities to Lahore,” PTI Punjab president Ahsan Rashid told a news conference on Thursday.

He alleged that PTI’s hoardings, banners and other advertisement material were being removed by the Punjab government, but “we want to tell the N-League that gone are the days when Lahore was its stronghold. The Oct 30 public meeting will prove it otherwise”.

Former Punjab governor Mian Azhar, who recently joined the PTI, said the PML-N’s Friday show would be nothing but a gathering of “government employees and seminary students”.

He said there was no difference between the agenda of PML-N and PPP, calling upon the Sharifs to stop befooling the nation in the name of their ‘Go Zardari go’ drive because they (people) were well aware of their politics.

Mian Mehmoodur Rashid, a PTI leader, said the use of local government machinery was not the only tactic the PML-N had on its agenda. It had earlier indulged in defaming Imran Khan by picking up family matters, he said. “After years of mud-slinging, the PML-N cannot malign Mr Khan on any other ground.”

The PTI’s provincial information secretary, Ms Andaleeb Abbas, said the PML-N was hurling accusations to divert people’s attention from the failures of its government in Punjab. “The PTI has denied any ‘Jewish connection’ of Mr Khan’s children, who are being brought up as Muslims by their mother Jemima Khan. We are a democratic party and do not follow hereditary politics,” Ms Abbas said.

The PPP’s deputy parliamentary leader, Shaukat Basra, alleged that public money was being used for the rally. He urged the judiciary to take notice of it. “It is unprecedented that the ruling party (PML-N in Punjab) is holding political shows by using public resources. This ‘crime’ should not go unnoticed.”