Flyingfalcon
MPA (400+ posts)
LAHORE, PAKISTAN In a mobile phone market in Gulberg, in Pakistans second-largest city, young employees proudly wear their political leanings: tiger badges, cricket bat pins and arrow tags representing their favoured parties in Saturdays historic national elections.
Im voting for Imran Khan, said Asim, a storeowner, referring to the cricket star playboy turned populist politician whos head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Hes the only honest one, and deserves a chance at leading this country.
What does he know about politics? asked his co-worker, sporting a tiger pin, a sign of his allegiance to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and its chief, the twice-elected former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif. (Sharif) understands politics. Imran Khan will make a mess.
Those sharply contrasting opinions reflect the intense interest in Saturdays election the first time in the coup-prone countrys 66-year history that a democratically-elected government will hand power to another elected government.
Its also the first time national elections will be contested by three main parties, not just two. Billboards, banners and posters seemingly covering every available public space in this city of more than 12 million in Punjab state reflect the competition for the 80 million registered voters.
Punjab, home to more than half of Pakistans population, has traditionally been the stronghold of Sharifs party but has lost support to Khan, whos become a symbol of change in the country. One half of the seats in the national assembly come from Punjab.
Khan, who was a professional cricket player for more than 20 years, has painted himself as an outsider, battling established political parties and holding controversial positions such as making peace with the Taliban and removing the country from U.S. influence.
Despite being hospitalized after a fall during a rally this week, TV channels continue to show him appealing to the electorate to take matters into their own hands and vote for a Naya or New Pakistan.
Weve seen all their stripes, said Abdur Rahman, a driver with a rental car company. Imran Khan doesnt just say the right things, hes a new face and he isnt corrupt.
But for every Abdur Rahman it seems there is someone else who is a die-hard Sharif loyalist. Recent polling by the Pew Research Centre showed Khan is slightly outranked by Sharif, according to the Associated Press.
This election campaign has also been marred by deadly violence. On Thursday, the son of former Pakistan prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was abducted by gunmen who killed a member of his entourage.
Militants believed to be from the Taliban have targeted three parties for their allegiance to secularism and for their support of military operations against militants in the northwest of the country. Election rallies have been attacked, senior leaders killed and threats made that have directly influenced their campaigning.
We have had to completely change strategy, says Samar Bilour, wife of Haroon Bilour, a candidate standing for elections in Peshawar, whose party, the Awami National Party (ANP) in the restive western province of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, has received the brunt of Taliban attacks. We cant reach our voters because its too dangerous to lead rallies. People have become so scared of what might happen.
Human Rights Watch noted that just in the week after election campaigning officiallystarted on April 21 militants carried out 20 attacks on political parties in which 46 people died and 190 have been wounded.
Even the incumbent, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has curtailed its campaign activities. Instead of the large, outdoor rallies, they have relied on television and newspaper advertisements and smaller, indoor meetings with supporters, according to the Associated Press.
Khan and Sharif, who have often sided with Islamist parties, have escaped the Talibans wrath for now.
On the streets of Lahore their party symbols are on display: cuddly tiger soft toys hang in car windows for Sharif, large posters for Khan on street lamps. A blue car speeds by with a large, fake tiger sitting on its hood.
People want change, says Ayesha Hasan, a young mother of three whose children were dressed in red, white and green, representing PTI and helping to put up get-well-soon notes on the makeshift Khan wall. Only Imran Khan can deliver this change. Now that he is injured, we will do whatever it takes to spread his message.
Music has helped develop this image. In an attempt to capture the imagination of young, untested voters from urban areas, PTI and PML-N have a number of election ditties that help spread their message.
We coined the concept of a Naya Pakistan explains Shahvaar Ali Khan, a musician by profession whose advertising company, Farigh Four worked with the PTI campaign to design a strategy focused on the countrys large youth electorate.
This target audience has been ignored in the past. No one talked to the youth but we suddenly have this reality, that 70 per cent of our population is under the age of 35.
