TOBA TEK SINGH: Till the end of election campaign, electioneering could not gain such traditional momentum and hullaballoo as was witnessed in 2013 or other past general elections due to various reasons, including ban on loud speakers and big panaflex banners and increased use of social media.

Under the code of conduct of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), only certain size of panaflex banners are allowed and most the well-to-do candidates who had spent millions of rupees on installation of such boards had to face loss as their banners were either removed or torn out by the administration and now only approved specific sized boards had been installed along the roads.

The ban on use of loudspeakers has brought in almost silent atmosphere which is unprecedented as in the previous elections, streets had at least two to three election offices of different candidates and all of them used to have mini-loudspeakers or sound systems to play party songs and raise slogans in favour of candidates.

In the past elections, in the last 20 days of election campaign, political workers used to take out more rallies on motorcycles and cars in the wards and villages of the constituency but now only one or two dozen motorcyclists pass on roads while shouting slogans without loudspeakers. Whatever rallies are being held in the city, they are mostly of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) followed by the PML-N.

Here in NA-112 of Toba Tek Singh city, Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) candidate Maulana Munim Husnain Siddiqui withdrew his candidature in favour of the PTI. Though the TLP replaced Munim with a new entrant in politics but the same zest is not seen among religious parties workers here as was witnessed in Gojra and Kamalia where TLP chief Allama Khadim Rizvi had addressed public meetings and large number of religious activists are daily seen shouting the party slogans on their bikes in the rallies.

A food catering business owner says that he is cooking at least 20 cauldrons of rice or chicken for the supporters of the NA candidates of PTI every day. Parathas, beverages, pakoras, jalebi and sweets are also brought in heavy quantity by the PML-N and PTI candidates to their houses each day to serve the visitors. Even the temporary election offices are also frequently supplying similar items to the visitors. The hot and humid weather has also forced the candidates to install big air-conditioners in their offices and even at some small election offices.

None of three big political parties have so far held any big public meeting here and chiefs of the PTI, PML-N and PPP have also not visited the city.

An effective election campaign help forms opinion of the voters but the hurdle of code of conduct and its implementation by the caretaker administration has forced the candidates to remain in limits. At least one dozen candidates were fined by the deputy commissioner in the district for violation of code while several others were summoned by him to issue warnings.

Facebook is the most watched form of social media where candidates have their pages for posting and uploading their activities or to win voters while they also upload videos of their receptions in wards and villages of their constituencies. Their supporters also use Facebook to campaign against their opponents and recall memories of the visitors by posting activities of ‘turncoats’ what they were before changing loyalties. The election has forced even the semi-illiterate people to make their Facebook accounts through their smartphones to watch activities of political parties and their candidates. When the media channels shut live speeches of Shahbaz Sharif, Imran Khan or Bilawal Bhutto, social media users immediately turn to Facebook to watch the live speeches there.

This widespread use of social media and election campaigns have also affected the activities in the street and political gatherings.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2018