Daily Times

LAHORE: The South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) held a seminar on ‘Stop Manipulating Elections and Ensure Free and Fair Franchise’ here on Sunday.

The event was chaired by SAFMA Secretary General Imtiaz Alam, while the floor opened for general discussion was addressed by SAP-Pakistan Executive Director Irfan Mufti, Advocate Salman Raja, Women’s Action Forum Lahore member Rubina Saigol and Dr Lal. Keynote speaker was renowned rights activist and writer I.A. Rehman.

A number of journalists, activists and people from different walks of life attended the event. On the occasion, one-minute silence was observed for the victims of Mastung blast.

A 12-point agenda was presented during the seminar to ensure free and fair elections, scheduled for July 25.

The demands included immediate cessation of interference of non-elected state institutions, judicial, accountability and security arms in the electoral process. The participants also called upon the Election Commission Pakistan to ensure free and fair elections and preempt any kind of tampering in the voting process.

They also demanded strict enforcement of code of ethics for candidates, political parties, state officials performing various election duties and the media without, however, imposing curbs on civil rights, “which are quite rampant”.

Participants were of the view that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) must restrain from selective accountability to influence elections. “The accountability must be systemic and across the board.”

Another demand was that the parties must refrain from abusive exchanges, hate-speech and mudslinging. They said that banned sectarian and jihadi outfits placed in fourth schedule must immediately be barred/disqualified from contesting elections and all sectarian and hateful campaigns be banned.

One of the demands put forth was that the excessive use of money beyond expenditure limits must be strictly observed and violators should be restrained and punished.

The seventh demand was no voter should be denied his/her right to vote while the eighth demand was that selling of votes must be strictly prohibited.

Further, the Election Commission of Pakistan must assert its authority and take all possible measures to ensure a free and fair election and an even playing-filed for all political parties. “It must take measures to educate and facilitate voters to vote, including the provision of official transport to voters. All curbs on rallies, public meeting, use of megaphones and legitimate campaign must be lifted.”

The 10th point of the demand was that all restrictions, visible or un-visible, on mainstream media and social media must be lifted since a fair and free election is not possible without a free media and freedom of expression san hate-speech. The second last point of their demand was that independent election observers, including local and international, should be fully facilitated to monitor fairness of elections.

The last demand was all state institutions and officials in the service of Pakistan must keep their oath and subservience to the constitution, since its violation during the election damages the credibility and sanctity of the institutions and they must submit to the authority of the Election Commission of Pakistan. “All personnel, be they judicial, civil or military on election duty, must obey the directives of the ECP in its efforts to ensure free and fair election.”

An amended draft resolution was also presented during the seminar, which said that after a decade of an exceptional and otherwise lame-duck democratic transition, “Pakistan is again witnessing an autocratic hijacking of the whole electoral prices by the non-elected institutions”.

It noted with concern that the electoral campaigns were marred by abusive and frivolous issues and are mainly focused around corruption mainly against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the PPP amid clumsy comparisons of governmental performance of various roiling parties.

SAFMA also called upon the democratic forces and the people of Pakistan to foul all attempts aimed at rigging of elections.

The participants appealed to the electorates to vote for those parties and candidates who are committed to their eight points like sovereignty of people, promote equality, promote peace within, support the rights of working classes, etc.

Published in Daily Times, July 16^th 2018.