“Sir, why can’t these rich people living in DHA understand that the poor people also have a right to vote?” One of my students at Government College University Lahore who comes from a humble background and voted for Saad Rafiq was annoyed by the allegations of rigging in NA 125, and disappointed in what he saw as the elites labelling his social class as ‘paindos’ (villagers), ‘illiterate’ all over the social media. “If there has been rigging, people should go to ECP (Election Commission of Pakistan), why protest and humiliate us, and our candidate when ECP hasn’t even given its verdict?” he inquired. For most of my students belonging to humble backgrounds the NA-125 fiasco represents an aggression of elites towards the lower middle and poor class. “We don’t have a voice neither on social media, nor in the power circles. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protestors have the luxury of 24/7 internet, and media access, but who will speak for us?” I tried to reason with them that perhaps it is not the PTI but its staunch followers who are saying irrational things out of frustration on the social media to which they unanimously responded, “People do exactly what they see their leaders doing. Imran Khan trashed Nawaz Sharif, and thus, his followers trash us.”
As the protest at Lalik Chowk, DHA, Lahore, continues, the divide between the rich and poor is becoming clearer to many. “When I went with my friends to celebrate our victory in DHA, the people at the PTI dharna who came in big SUVs and posh cars called us biker boys and ghunda (goons). We weren’t there to stir a beef, all we wanted was to show off our victory”, one of the students recalled from his experience and requested me to write an article representing their voice. Another of my student who also went to the Lalik Chowk in DHA with PML-N supporters reiterated, “A group of PTI girls with placards called me ‘jahil’ (ignorant) as I walked by with a PML N (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) flag. Just because I looked different, and wore an inexpensive shalwar kameez? Are educated people only those who study at LUMS, and LSE, and who can speak English fluently?” He looked depressed even after the landslide victory of the PML-N. “How can we be happy when people with generator-equipped houses have no concern for our mandate? The PTI protestors talk about fairness and equality, but they are not ready to accept our mandate in NA-125 just because the candidate of their choice lost?”
The more Saad Rafiq is being maligned and discredited, stronger his support from the lower middle and poor class is growing; he is being seen as a voice of those from the slums fighting for their rights, an honour that he has earned over decades. At the same time, people from this class, a very few who voted for the PTI are equally disturbed by the language and arrogance of the rich PTI voters in DHA. “Please, sir, tell your friends in DHA that they are creating a divide between the rich and poor, and they must stop before an actual revolution starts.” In almost threatening tone one of my students who lives in Chungi, and supports the PTI showed his frustration, but I could sense his confusion over why people who have everything in life needed a ‘change’. It appeared that he was losing faith in the PTI because of the way with which the PTI voters in DHA unconsciously or consciously mocked illiterate and lower middle class for voting PML-N.
Mr Rafiq’s victory is not a surprise for most of the people in the constituency, especially those residing outside DHA. The only people who were surprised are those who voted for the first time, and wishfully expected their candidate to win. Since the same lot has a massive presence on media, and social media, the perception, hence, is being created that somehow the results show gross electoral rigging. If we look at the record, Mr Rafiq has won from this constituency several times, and has never been charged with rigging by any of his opponents, some of whom were actually much stronger than Hamid Khan of the PTI. The ECP has not given its verdict yet, and the videos and pictures of the rigging does not give much, apart from Mr Rafiq standing inside the female section of the polling station, which I believe not a lot of the PTI female voters realise was his fundamental right. “Just because the rich people think that they came out and vote for the first time does not mean that their candidate HAS to win”, my student concluded the discussion on the subject.
Whether there was any rigging or not will be decided only by the rightful authority, but a brief survey in the impoverished areas of NA-125 shows overwhelming strength of Mr Rafiq who has, according to the people, worked tirelessly in the area. “I voted for Saad Rafiq, so did all my friends in Lal Kurti. Over here Imran Khan is only popular as a cricketer, while Saad Rafiq as a man of people.” A teenaged shopkeeper in the Sadr area of Lahore was not shy to openly support the PML-N. The same freedom is not allowed in the posh areas of DHA and Cantt where not supporting Imran Khan is at times equated to being a ‘traitor’, illiterate and etc. “There are many silent supporters of the PML-N throughout the posh area, and even within the foreign educated and elite lot. However, they choose to remain silent especially on social media, afraid of being targeted and harassed by the PTI trolls”, a recent graduate from Oxford University who voted for the PML-N suggested.
The message I got from the lower middle class and those living on the poverty line in NA-125, no matter which party they supported, has been loud and clear, and I have been requested to voice their message in the well-to-do class: democracy is one man, one vote. Not respecting the mandate of the people because they are poor, illiterate, or whatever will lead to only a further divide and hostility between the two social classes. It is not about the PTI or PML N. It is about the rich and the poor, and this dispute in NA-125 symbolises the arrogance of the rich and their total disregard of the ‘others’ living in the constituency. They have a right to protest against rigging, but no right to target people based on their party affiliation, social class, or ethnicity.
The writer is a lecturer at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Islamabad. He is also an Associate Fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR), Kings College, London. He can be reached at [email protected]