Daily Times

For a developing country, Pakistan does not take its long-term economic health seriously. In fact, it is almost as if the country believes it has nine lives; with landing on its feet forever guaranteed. For not the least bit of outward concern does it show in the aftermath of the infamous FATF grey-listing; ostensibly for not doing sufficient to prevent terrorists operating within national borders.

The priority should, of course, lie in implementing concrete measures to address this, so as to avoid being downgraded further to the land of blacklists and international sanctions. Especially considering that the rupee was this week devalued for a fourth time in eight months. But those at the helm have their attention fixed elsewhere.

While politicians and their supporters are risking life and limb to participate in a democratic process at its bloodiest, more than 200 banned militant organisations are all signed up to contest the elections. This was brought to the interim set-up’s notice by Senate Chairman and senior PPP leader Raza Rabbani; who not unjustly demanded that the caretaker Interior minister be put on the spot to provide answers towards this end.

The beginning of this week alone saw representatives of two suspect groups hold rallies in Karachi without any upset at all on the security front. First on the scene was Hafiz Saeed, a man who bears charges of supporting militancy (admitteldy in the past) at home and abroad. Yet there he was, addressing three separate campaign rallies on behalf of his political party, the Milli Muslim League (MML), which was outlawed by the US back in April. Saeed outlined a dangerous mandate centring on uniting the entire Kashmir region, Junagadh in the Indian state of Gujarat and Hyderabad Deccan with Pakistan.  References to the UN Security Council and international law were conspicuous by their absence. All of which lends credence to fears that the idea behind mainstreaming such outfits is not to moderate them but to legitimise anti-Indian aggression within Parliament. The MML is, astoundingly, fielding some 300 candidates on July 25 from the Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek (AAT) ticket. This figure is up from the original 265 from party lists to include a number of independents. Thereby underscoring the outreach of such violent rhetoric.

Also working the crowds in Karachi was Aurangzeb Farooqi of the Ahle Sunaat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ); a man on the  Fourth Schedule running on the ticket of a party that is largely believed to be a front for the rabidly anti-Shia Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). The latter is charged with having ties to Al Qaeda and was proscribed by Pakistan back in 2001. Unbelievably the ASWJ, banned in 2012, was last month removed from the terror list along with party chief Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi; who saw his assets unfrozen and a travel ban lifted.

The caretaker government, along with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), is charged with ensuring that polls are conducted in as free and fair a manner as possible; while guaranteeing sanctity of the vote. Both have failed dramatically on these fronts. Thus the polls stand already compromised before even a single ballot has been cast. Meaning it is becoming increasingly difficult to talk of carrying the democratic mantle forward. Especially when a thrice-elected Prime Minister languishes in jail; where he is expected to stay until after the elections. Thereby preventing him from rallying his party members while at the same time denying his supporters access to him.

There is something incredibly wrong with this picture. After all, it is the state that is supposed to rise like lions after slumber, in unvanquishable number. Not the militants.  *

Published in Daily Times, July 18^th 2018.