KARACHI - The political campaign would prove dull, enthusiasm and passion less if there would have been no party songs doing rounds in an election campaign which is also a source of spreading party message to the masses.

According to a political analyst, the trend of using party songs dates back to late 1980’s when the Pakistan People’s Party all time famous ‘Dila Teer Bija’ and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s ‘Mazloomo Ka Sathi’ were released. The Jamaat-e-Islami was also known for motivating its supports by making Islamic anthems however, the colour was added to it after the PTI chairman entered the political arena and his party hired DJs and popular singers to sing their songs.

The political workers can be seen dancing to tune of the PTI’s ‘Baenga Naya Pakistan’ and ‘Tabdeeli Ayi Ray’; PPP’s ‘Dila Teer Bija’ and ‘Bilawal Bilawal’; PML-N’s ‘Dilon Ki Dharkan Nawaz Sharif’ and ‘Sher Hamara’; and songs of many parties outside their election offices.

MQM’s Sathi missing

The MQM, which was the biggest political force of Karachi at least until 2013’s general election, used its trademark party song ‘Mazloomo Ka Sathi’ to attract its voters and supporters for so many years. But now, as the party cannot play this song as it beats around its founder owing to his anti-state speeches, it faces hardships to motivate the voters.

An activist of the MQM, said, “Mazloomo Ka Sathi’ was our inspiration but after August 22, 2016 we cannot go with the founder. The party should make new song that should be the remix of that song as its beat will be the motivation for the workers and even for the common Muhajir.”

Not many know that this trademark song is the remix of ‘Tera Mera Sathi Hai Lehrata Samundar’, the song of Chocolate Hero Waheed Murad’s movie ‘Samundar’ released in 1968. Although, the party had tried to regain its lost turf by releasing new anthems like ‘Huq Paraston Ka Maan’ the remix of the bollywood’s ‘Mere Rashk-e-Qamar’; ‘Patanag Phir Jeetegi’ the remix of a Basant song ‘Patang Ba Sajna Se’; and ‘ Zinda Hai Muhajir Zinda Hai’ but the party supporters and voters miss the beats of ‘Mazloomo Ka Sathi’.

Slogans

Besides party songs, the slogan also play a key role to motivate the voters as it reflects the vision of a party. From the PPP’s ‘Roti, Kapra or Makaan’ to MQM’s Mayor to Apna Hona Chahiye’, the slogans helped the political parties to get their candidates elected.

Apna Vote Apno Kay Liye

“In the past, we had been doing this for our Quaid but now everything is being done for Muhajir cause,” the joint union council in-charge of the MQM Hunain said while decorating the party’s election office in Soldier Bazaar. The MQM had came up with a slogan ‘Apna Vote Apno Kay Liye’ in this polls but this is not the first time party tried to convince Karachiites to vote for it as a similar kind of slogan ‘Mayor to Apna Hona Chahiye’ was raised ahead of the local government elections

Tabdeeli

Even though, the PTI has many electoral slogans out which ‘Tabdeeli’ (change) is the most popular one as the party vows to bring the change in the country by defeating the status quo. The party is carrying its election campaign with a new slogan ‘Ab Sirf Imran Khan Ballay Pe Nishan’ (Nobody except Imran Khan, vote for bat) as the slogan is written on most of its banners and panaflexes.

Ab ki Baar Diyanatdar

The electoral alliance of five religious parties, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal in its election campaign has taken aggressive stance against corruption allegedly made during last governments’ terms and urged the people to choose ‘honest’ leadership this time around. The MMA claimed that it has no place for any corrupt or defaulter in their ranks and asked the people to vote for ‘honest’ candidates of the MMA.

Vote Ko Izzat Do

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif came up with a ‘Vote Ko Izzat Do’(Give Respect to Vote) after he was ousted by the Supreme Court, maintaining that the way he was ousted, it is the humiliation of vote as he was elected by the majority of the people. The slogan was well used by Nawaz and his daughter Maryam Nawaz in almost every public gathering they addressed since the verdict.

Rok Sako to Rok Lo

Stop if you can is being used by many parties as Maryam Nawaz raised this slogan to taunt the PML-N opponents, PTI used it in Sindh against the PPP as they maintained change is just around the corner stop it if you can.

Bibi Ka Wada Nibhana Hai, Pakistan Bachana Hai

Instead of its well-known slogan ‘Roti, Kapra Aur Makaan’, the Pakistan Peopels Party’s had given a new slogan ‘Bibi Ka Wada Nibhna Hai, Pakistan Bachana Hai’. However, the party clarified it was Benazir Bhutto’s mission to give every one ‘Roti, Kapra Aur Makaan’ and Bilwal Bhutto Zardari will accompish her mother’s dream after coming into power.

Wazir-e-Azam Bilawal

Bilawal is a young gun and is the only hope for the prosperous Pakistan, said an enthusiastic PPP activist Mohammad Imran, who was dancing on the tunes of PPP election song- Bilawal Bilawal- outside the party election camp in Bihar Colony area of Lyari.

The PPP has full-fledged launch Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as the political face of the party for the election campaign in 2018, who not only announced the party manifesto for the 2018 polls but also led the party’s campaign rally to three provinces of the country including Sindh, Punjab and KPK.

The party before the elections launched a nine songs album titled Awam Ki Awaz, which revolves around the party campaign, sung by local singer and PPP supporter Abid Raaz.

Aya Aya Deen Aya

Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan is a newly emerged religious party on the political landscape of Karachi and is using sectarian based songs to lure its voters.

Muhammad Ali, who was sitting in a party truck, told that the party song ‘Ye Na Isafi Na Bhai Na, Ye Wada Khilafi Na bhai Na’ was the most famous among party activists and most of their trucks were repeating this song to lure voters.

The party that is banking on its sit-ins staged against the PML-N led federal government over amendment Elections Act’s clause relating Khatm-e-Nabuwwat, is using the slogans ‘Aya Aya Deen Aya’ and other religious slogans. 

Naffraton ko Mitain Gay, Mohabbatain Phelain Gay

Pak Sarzameen Party – that has emerged as one of the main stake holders in Karachi after March 2016- is banking on its struggle against violent politics in the city and its song ‘We left those Lanes where there was hatred and blood’ and “Watan Parast Sub Sath Chalain Gay Ab Masail Hal Karain Gay’ is doing rounds in party gatherings.

The slogans raised by the party in its gatherings also revolves around the past performance of its leader Mustafa Kamal as the City Nazim Karachi and politics of hatred-that the PSP referred to the violent politics of MQM led by its founder Altaf Hussain. Their key slogans are ‘Naffraton ko Mitain Gay, Mohabbatain Phelain Gay’ and Karachi ‘Banaya Tha, Karachi Banain Gay’.