Sir: May 11, 2013 was the day for general elections in Pakistan. However, I would rather call them, not elections, but a selection of candidates who were able to run the bloodiest election campaign in the country’s history. In the past, it has been generally alleged that intelligence agencies used to play a vicious role in cooking up the election campaign and its results to suit the establishment of that time. Apparently, this time the responsibility has either been outsourced to the Taliban or, in the face of no resistance from any quarter, they have taken over the task themselves. The Taliban banned the election campaign of three liberal parties — the PPP, ANP and MQM. They minced no words while delivering this threat and later implemented the same without any fear. Rallies, public meetings, corner meetings, election offices, candidates and their supporters were attacked, practically denying these parties a level playing field in three provinces. So far, more than 100 people have been killed in terror attacks in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The same is applicable for religious minorities who are generally disillusioned with the electoral process. The May 11 elections were held under the joint electoral system wherein all adult Pakistani citizens can vote regardless of his/her religion, sect, caste and gender. However, an issue with voter lists format kept a large number of religious minorities out of the election process. The head of a leading sectarian party has already asked the country’s liberals to get registered as ‘religious minorities’! In my opinion, it was not an election but rather a selection process to choose one of the religious political parties from Punjab to lead the country for the next five years. Perhaps, all this is being cooked up in the face of US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014. All those with strange goals to achieve in post-2014 Afghanistan will be reminded that Afghans always keep their national interest on top. Karzai has already raised the controversial issue of the Durand Line. The Afghan Taliban also has no love lost for Pakistan on this issue, as they proved in the 1990s by saying no to Pakistan’s request to officially accept the Durand Line as an international border. Though the outgoing government was marred with corruption charges, I see no political stability, security and peace, improvement in energy and education sectors during the tenure of this upcoming right-wing government. MASOOD KHAN Jubail, Saudi Arabia