• Shehbaz promises e-buses, water projects in return for votes
• Commuters suffer as public gathering at Liaquat Bagh brings surroundings to a standstill

RAWALPINDI: More than a week after the PML-N stepped up its election campaign, the former ruling party failed to put up an ‘impressive’ power show in Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh ostensibly due to bad weather and the party’s local chapter’s alleged failure to whip up support ahead of the gathering.

The public meeting was addressed by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, who hardly spoke for 10 minutes on the occasion. According to Mr Sharif, if voted to power, his party would initiate development and social welfare projects in the garrison city.

Some party supporters believed the absence of Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, both considered crowd pullers, also dampened the enthusiasm of the PML-N workers, who were present in significant numbers but less than what the party had expected.

A senior PML-N leader told Dawn that the party was worried about the failure of its regional and local leadership which could not mobilise the masses for the public meeting. “Though the party’s city chapter mobilised the workers across all union councils, the district chapter failed to bring workers from other tehsils of Rawalpindi,” he claimed.

The insider claimed that after procuring the election ticket, many PML-N leaders were not active, which was the reason for a lacklustre response at the election rally. “All the workers present on the occasion came from union councils of the city,” said the party leader. For some people, however, the gathering should have been held at the final leg of the election campaign – a few days before the Feb 8 polls.

PML-N leaders claimed that more than 14,000 chairs had been arranged at Liaquat Bagh. But the number of people who attended the public gathering was far less. It may be noted that the notable park in Rawalpindi can accommodate less than 10,000 people.

‘Shehbaz to turn Pindi into Lahore’

During the gathering, Shehbaz Sharif asked the people to vote for ‘lion’ on February 8. In a veiled reference to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the PML-N president said that those inviting Mian Nawaz Sharif for a public debate should invite him to their province so that the people could judge who did what for the masses. He said the PML-N would launch development projects after coming to power. “I will develop Rawalpindi like Lahore by fulfilling all the promises made to the people,” the younger Sharif said, referring to his 10-year tenure as the chief minister of Punjab.

He recalled that during their past regimes, the PML-N under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif had worked on record projects and established cardiology and urology institutes, metro bus service and also repaired landslide sites at Jheeka Gali in Murree.

“I promise I will launch electric buses on I.J.P Road [renamed as Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed Road] and Rs30 million water provision projects in the district,” he said, also claiming that the Ring Road would also be completed soon.

‘Citizens suffer’

Though the PML-N failed to organise a big rally, the problems faced by citizens, particularly the commuters, were significant. The neighbourhoods in the vicinity of Liaquat Bagh, such as Raja Bazaar, bore the brunt of the PML-N rally, which led to roadblocks and massive traffic jams on Murree Road. This key artery cuts across the garrison city and links it to Islamabad.

The local police and administration closed the roads from Gawalmandi to Murree Road and College Road and adjoining streets and roads. This decision impacted students and patients, as they searched for alternative routes to reach their destinations.

“Due to the closure of roads around Liaquat Bagh, I had to go to Raja Bazaar through narrow streets but they were also crowded at many locations and the journey only wasted my time and fuel,” said Sajid Mehmood, a motorist. Muhammad Akbar, a resident of Saddar, said he reached his house in an hour from Raja Bazaar, due to long traffic queues.

“The public meetings wasted the time and fuel of the people. The government should allocate the site outside the city areas as it creates a mess for the general public,” he said. Fayyaz Hussain, a motorist, said that the traffic police should make the arrangements to solve traffic problems. “A majority of commuters use Murree Road to travel between the twin cities and such rallies always create problems for them,” he said.

A senior district official told Dawn that the administration and the police had been asked to make arrangements for the public meeting and remove any hassles for citizens. He said that traffic police had been asked to make such arrangements but closing the U-turns on the main roads created a traffic mess.

Similarly, the metro bus service from Saddar to Faizabad also remained suspended from 12pm. The service was operational in Islamabad, however. A metro official said the service would remain suspended today after 12pm due to a PPP election rally in the city.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2024

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