Trump card
According to Daily Dunya (16 July 2018), Theresa May revealed that US President Donald Trump had recommended that she sue the European Union rather than negotiate over Brexit.
Elephants endangered
Ayesha Gulalai was quoted by Daily Dunya (16 July 2018) as saying that one elephant (hathi) had already been jailed, and that now she would continue her mission to put the other two behind bars. She went on to state that only a traitor could attack Pakistan’s institutions, and that Nawaz Sharif had tried to become another Sheikh Mujib.
Elections according to MMA
Daily Dunya (16 July 2018) quoted MMA leaders as saying that the elections were to be a contest between honour and dishonour (ghairat aur beghairati), mosque and dance (masjid aur dance), corruption and honesty (dayanat). Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman, according to the report, expressed his view that Pakistan had been, for the past 70 years, under the dominance of a clique that is unwilling to follow religion (mazhab be-zar tabqa).
War on kites
Daily Express (16 July 2018) reported on an ongoing crackdown against the manufacture, sale and flying of kites. According to the report, in Lahore, some 15 people were arrested, 10 cases were registered, more than 100 kites were seized and more than 10 spools of kite-string were seized.
On exchange rates
According to Daily Dunya (17 July 2018), Imran Khan claimed that the time had come for accountability of those who had looted the country. The PTI chief expressed his view that the dollar had risen relative to the Pak rupee because of thieves (chor) – and that this would now cause price hikes.
Financing dams
Ashraf Jalali of the Tehreek-e-Labbayk, according to Daily Express (17 July 2018), lined up behind the view that Kalabagh Dam ought to be constructed, and that this could be done by bringing back to Pakistan the looted wealth that Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari had kept abroad.
Confidence
Chaudhry Nisar was quoted by Daily Express (17 July 2018) as saying that his opponent could not be saved from defeat – even by PTI Chairman Imran Khan. He went on to describe his electoral competitors as trash and a political flea market (koora karkat aur siyasi landa bazaar).
Played
Daily Express (17 July 2018) quoted Imran Khan as saying that Shehbaz Sharif had played quite a game with his older brother Nawaz Sharif (bohat barri game kheli hai), and that while the latter had gone to Adiala jail, the former had not even stepped out of his car.
Proposal
Former Chief Minister of Punjab, Shehbaz Sharif, according to Daily Jang (22 July 2018), proposed that on all road U-turns in Pakistan, the signboards ought to be replaced by an image of Imran Khan.
Du contrat social
PTI chief Imran Khan was quoted by Daily Jang (22 July 2018) as saying that he was competing with Nawaz Sharif and the ‘international establishment’ that stood behind him. He went on to state that it was the agenda of this ‘international establishment’ that Imran Khan be defeated. He also expressed his view that behind all the talk of a new social contract (Imrani muahida) was actually yet another game of the ‘international establishment’.
Siraj is in the fray too
Siraj-ul-Haq of the Jamat-e-Islami, according Daily Jang (22 July 2018), took the view that his contest was against the ‘international establishment’ and that the upcoming elections would be a war Islam and secular forces.