Lahore [Pakistan] : Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday cast his vote at a polling station in Lahore, Pakistan-based ARY News reported.
He was accompanied by his daughter Maryam Nawaz.
Speaking to reporters after casting his vote, Sharif stressed that security measures were satisfactory and added that the fate of Pakistan has been in the hand of people, according to ARY News.
He said, “If given chance, we will join hands and build Pakistan.”
The country’s former Prime Minister has urged people to exercise their right to vote, particularly for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif said the PML-N will combat the culture of “abuse” and “indecency” and added that the party will tackle inflation and work for the people, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.
In a video posted by PML-N on social media platform X, Nawaz Sharif stated, “Maryam Nawaz has a lot of struggle, she has done a lot of work for the party in very bad times, faced difficult situations and served jail terms. Similarly, Shehbaz Sharif and our other colleagues have many services who have given sacrifices. Hamaz Shehbaz and Maryam Nawaz have remained in prison. We are seeing this day after making sacrifices.”
PML-N leader and former information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb cast her right vote in NA-51 Murree, ARY News reported.
Also, Pakistan People’s Party’s Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari cast her vote at a polling station of NA-207 Nawabshah. Pakistan Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi cast his vote at the Dora Model School polling station urged people to vote for a better future of their generations.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehmen cast his vote at NA-44 constituency in Dera Ismail Khan. Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQM-P) central leader Farooq Sattar voted at a polling station in Karachi’s Pir Illahi Bakhsh (PIB) Colony.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and other political leaders who are currently incarcerated have cast their votes through a postal ballot from Adiala Jail, Pakistan-based Dawn reported, citing sources.
Other leaders who have managed to vote through mail include Pakistan’s former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid, and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry.
Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, was unable to vote as she was convicted and arrested after the completion of the postal voting process. Fewer than 100 prisoners of Adiala Jail were able to vote, which implies that about one per cent of the jail’s 7000 inmates, according to Dawn report.
More than 17,000 candidates are contesting in the elections in Pakistan, Dawn reported. Voters will elect 266 candidates to the Pakistan National Assembly, who will later, by a majority vote, elect the next prime minister. Simultaneously, voters will also elect representatives to their respective provincial assemblies, who will then elect the provincial chief executives under a similar process.
Elections have been postponed in one national and three provincial assembly constituencies due to the deaths of contesting candidates. This includes NA-8 (Bajaur), PK-22 (Bajaur), PK-91 (Kohat) and PP-266 (Rahim Yar Khan). Voters elsewhere will cast two votes each — one for each of the two assemblies.
