Daily Times

Maula Jat and his nemeses Noori Nat are fictional characters in Punjabi folklore glamorized through films spanning decades. Their violent conflict has been verbalized as “Kharak”, an appropriate description of what is unfolding on our national scene. The intensity increases every day leading to an undesirable crescendo. It’s a path to disaster paved intentionally to conduct the most rigged elections in our history; orchestrated by all elements of power structure.

How can “free and fair elections” be conducted when every step is being taken to remove the most popular political party in the country from the electoral process? Ironically Honorable CJ is seeking proof of alleged abuse. Pick up any event since April 2022. The brutality by police, human rights abuses, violations of the sanctity of homes, mistreatment of women and children, open violations of law and Superior Court rulings stare you in the face.

With every passing day, hope for a free election and a level playing field is diminishing.

Imran Riaz Khan is arguably the most well-known journalist amongst Pakistanis here or abroad. He has millions of followers, far more than all these power brokers combined. He recently got released from incarceration suffering intense inhuman treatment at the hands of his captors. He is still recovering from his trauma. Yet when his name was brought up before the Supreme Court our respected CJ inquired “Imran Riaz who?”

With every passing day, hope for a free election and a level playing field is diminishing. PTI is not even permitted to enter the field. PTI candidates are not allowed to file their election papers; if they manage, their papers are being rejected. They are being arrested and tortured to prevent them from contesting. In this reign of terror, what sanctity will these elections hold in the eyes of Pakistanis and the rest of the world?

What part of our national agenda will such an exercise in futility serve? Will it give relief to our suffering poor being crushed by unbearable inflation? Revive our tanking economy headed towards insolvency? Give hope to our youth comprising over 60% of the population. Bring in investment to a country in turmoil protesting unfair elections? Restore confidence in institutions hell-bent on breaking every law to install these crooks?

The people’s choice is evident from every survey conducted so far. It is so aptly stated by my respected friend, Aitzaz Ahsan “The ECP is not conducting elections, it is fighting elections”. In a recent video, experienced data analysts and political experts Asad Rafiq and Yasir Hussain Sheikh projected 5 possible outcomes of the 2024 elections based on the 2018 results. These different scenarios factored in variables and their possible impact on results. If the elections are conducted normally PTI will get 165 plus seats. At different levels of rigging the worst case scenario is 119 seats. These data-driven conclusions will make many evil planners lose sleep.

The results of 8th February will be a direct consequence of how many voters turn out on Election Day. Voting in high numbers, especially amongst women and youth, will go a long way to defeat the nefarious designs of these evil plotters. What bewilders all the analysts is why public sentiments are being so blatantly ignored.

I have witnessed elections in normally functioning democracies. Opinion polls determine the direction of the expected outcome. Results vary based on the sources conducting them, yet they are monitored closely by participants. They amend their strategies and programs accordingly.

Federally there will be a “national unity government” with Tareen as a leading contender. Nawaz is being thrown to the wolves. Sind and Baluchistan are being handed over to Zardari. Punjab to be shared by PML(N) and IPP. KP is still in the works. Where are the global defenders of this form of governance, the so-called champions of democracy?

The writer is the director of CERF, a non-profit, charitable organisation in Canada.The weiter can be followed on twitter at following id: @HafeezKhanPU