War of slogans and banners emerges ahead of PTI rally in Islamabad today

Both the ruling PML-N and opposition party PTI have indulged in a malevolent war of slogans and banners accusing each other of committing corruption, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf is going to hold a public rally in Parade Ground, Islamabad later today. Ahead of its power show, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government has put up banners along the entire Murree Road, Rawalpindi. The banners are scribbled with corruption charges allegedly committed during the previous Imran Khan regime. 

One of the banners reads: ‘PTI which is involved in billions of rupees corruption in Ring Road project has been unmasked’. 

Another board says: ‘Imran is a swindler who talks about sovereignty but has increased Pakistan’s debt by 80%’. One hording reads: ‘Where the commission agent Farah Gogi has vanished after looting public money.’

A poster asks Imran Khan how come his assets have been increased by 250% in five years. Another banner says: “My gift, my business. Certified thief’. ‘Rawalpindi and Islamabad people reject Imran Khan’, another poster reads.

On the other hand, the PTI has also come out with a salvo of acerbic slogans against the government. 

According to the party, the imported government which it says has come to power after taking second NRO to hide its Rs1,100 billion corruption has become afraid of PTI’s slogan “Relief for Thieves’. 

The party said that it has given a title of ‘Choro Ko Relief, Awam Ko Takleef’ to its July 2 public rally. 

The PTI accused the local administrations of Islamabad and Rawalpindi of creating hurdles in the ad campaign launched for the rally. It said that the government objected to the PTI’s “Choro Ko Relief” slogan. 

The party accused government of harassing its ad campaigners in the twin cities. It also alleged that the government was removing PTI banners from the main thoroughfares of the twin cities. 

Reporters Saud Butt and Usman Javed