- Over 24,000 new voters registered in NA-120 since 2013 elections
LAHORE: The shiny development projects of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) remained successful in wooing the young voters, a survey of NA-120 on the polling-day revealed. Most of the first time voters of the constituency were seen satisfied with the performance of PML-N and therefore they opted to cast the first vote of their life to Begum Kulsoom Nawaz of PML-N.
According to details, more than 24,000 new voters got registered since 2013 General Elections, as the total registered voters in NA-120 were 321,786 on Sunday while this figure stood at 297,000 in 2013 when Nawaz Sharif bagged the seat by defeating Dr Yasmeen Rashid with a margin of more than 40,000 votes.
“It is a wrong notion that the youth of the country is with Imran Khan. I am a young boy and first-time voter and I just cast my vote for Begum Kulsoom Nawaz,” said Waqar Razzaq, a 19-year-old resident of Union Council (UC) 48 Marzi Pura, while talking to Pakistan Today. He further added that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan had ruined the political culture of the country by introducing an abusive environment in politics, therefore, he preferred to cast his first vote for PML-N.
Waqar was of the view that there was a time when Pakistan used to face load shedding of more than 16 hours a day, and this electricity shortfall had decreased manifolds since the PML-N came to power in 2013.
Reposing confidence in PTI chairman, a resident of Sant Nagar named Muhammad Zohaib said that Imran was a ray of hope for the youth as he believed in changing the decades-old ailing system of the country. “I cast the first vote of my life to PTI not because of the individual candidate but only for Imran Khan because of his ideology,” added the 23-year-old while standing in front of a polling station established at Dev Samaj Road Ahmed Hassan Polytechnic Institute.
He also said that only youth could bring change in the country which was also the slogan of the PTI chairman, and therefore, the country’s youth must support Imran in carrying on his mission.
Another youngster named Waqas, from UC-51 Amin Park said that no one could defeat Nawaz Sharif in NA-120 as he had strong roots in the constituency, and the people truly loved him because of his development works in the area. “I am not Sharif’s blind follower as I cast my vote after evaluating his development works that he carried out for the uplift of the area,” he added.
“There was a time when we used to get stuck in traffic near Minar-e-Pakistan for hours but one can now see the smooth flow of traffic after the newly constructed Azadi Interchange,” said the 21-year-old Waqas, adding that Metro bus service was also very useful for the students because of its cheap and subsidised fare.
The young supporters and voters of their parties remained busy throughout the day carrying party flags and stickers in order to convince other people to vote for their favourite candidate.
