LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, former Chief Minister of Punjab Mian Shehbaz Sharif and other prominent leaders from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) cast their votes at polling stations across the city starting Wednesday morning.
Polling in Lahore started at 8 a.m. PST and upon the arrival of political leaders at the polling stations, voters present on the premises welcomed them by chanting slogans in favor of their parties.
Guarded by security staff, the chief justice cast his vote at the Government Model Girls High School polling station in Barkat Market. While speaking to the people gathered at the polling station, Justice Nisar claimed he had “fulfilled my promise to ensure the elections take place on time.”
He implored that “it is the duty of the nation to cast their vote for their leaders.” The chief justice hoped that public representatives elected are good, deserving people who can effectively manage affairs.
PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif cast his vote at a polling station in Model Town. His son, Salman Shehbaz, accompanied him to the polling booth to cast his vote.
“Just cast my vote. High time that all of you came out to vote for Pakistan’s progress and prosperity,” said Sharif. “May this election be a source of peace and stability for the nation,” he posted on social media soon after casting his vote.
PML-N firebrand leader and former minister for railways Khawaja Saad Rafiq cast his vote at a polling station in a private school in Defense.
He said it was “a day of jubilation because the people of Lahore have given a verdict in favor of PML-N and will make them victorious.”
Two-time former National Assembly speaker and PML-N leader Sardar Ayaz Sadiq cast his vote in Garhi Shahu, an ancestral residential area of his family.
He has won consecutively four times from this constituency and hopes to be in Assembly this time as well. He came to the polling station with his son and other family members and his party workers welcomed him by raising slogans in his favor.
Prominent Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Yasmeen Rashid, who previously contested the elections against deposed-Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif and his ailing wife Kulsoon Nawaz, also cast her vote in the city. She said that this was “the year of change” and that “tonight the nation will get rid of the corrupt.”
PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who voted in Lahore earlier, had his vote transferred to his Islamabad residence in Bani Gala and cast his vote there.
Despite slight rain in different parts of the city, Lahore is witnessing a large number of voters making their way to their respective polling stations. No untoward incident has been reported from any part of the city thus far, although small skirmishes did take place. Polling is scheduled to continue until 6 p.m. PST.
