The party of Pakistan’s former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, considered the front-runner to win upcoming general elections, launched its campaign for the February 8 polls on Monday.
Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz, who is also considered his political heir, started the party’s campaign at a rally in the eastern city of Okara in Punjab province.
“The more you vote for us the more you will see your household expenses going down,” she said amid inflation that has been hovering around 30% in recent months.
Sharif, who returned from self-exile in London late last year, has pledged to rebuild the country’s $350 billion economy, which is battling high inflation, an unstable currency and low foreign exchange reserves, despite averting a debt default with an IMF bailout last summer.
Major players such as the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of late prime minister Benazir Bhutto have already begun campaigns, but these have been muted compared to past polls.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has started its campaign late, while Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) says it is not being allowed rallies by the authorities.