My way or the highway

Author:

Sir: It may be correct to term the upcoming general elections in Pakistan as being the strangest ones in its 66-year life span. The elections’ credibility has already been marred, thanks to the Taliban who have forcibly ousted three liberal political parties, political parties that do not make religion a point-scoring issue in their campaign. These liberal parties have not yet boycotted the elections because that would mean victory for the Taliban’s arm-twisting tactics. At present, it is an election among right-wing and religious political parties including a few sectarian groups. By referring to them as religious parties, one may be fooled into expecting some decency among their leaders but no, this time the election campaign is showing how low these leaders can go in their lust for power. If, on the one side, the head of a sectarian party, the JUI-F, declares voting for another right wing party, the PTI, as being haraam — religiously forbidden — then the leader of PTI calls his opponent, the religious scholar, an infidel. This match goes on in a very ugly manner, including other right wing parties as well. After the circus organised by the returning officers (ROs) to interview and check the religious credentials of prospective candidates, some leaders have gone to the extent that they are saying their prayers on stage, just to prove (or better say, fool people) that they are practicing Muslims. Another religious party, the JI, has declared that all liberals in Pakistan should get themselves registered as (religious) minorities. Though he was angry with other right wing parties for not having an alliance with anyone, he found liberal parties to be the easiest and softest targets.

All these right wing parties, which have, at present, found a green field to win the elections, need to understand that the Taliban threat will not go away with the ousting of liberals from parliament. If they form a government in Islamabad, then they have to go the way the Taliban want to run the country, otherwise the Taliban know many ways to show them how to take their way or the highway.

MASOOD KHAN

Jubail,

Saudi Arabia