Daily Times

As opposition gets ready to bitterly accept Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) ‘naya Pakistan’ — one thing is clear, most people are not willing to applaud the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the election day proceedings. Constituencies stretching from Chitral to the Makran coast have complained of a poorly administrated voting process, which was riddled with confusion, and ripe with delays.

While political parties cry out ‘rigging’, the masses are enraged with the amount of time wasted at under-staffed, ill-equipped polling stations. There might have been a hundred people waiting eagerly to cast their vote in lines, however only three to four voters were admitted at a time. Outside polling stations in Gulberg, Lahore elderly citizens lamented upon their treatment, with no separate lines for those with special needs, and a two hour waiting period minimum. While security forces, including local police and army were present- the absence of sufficient commission staff was heavily detrimental. Party camps outside polling stations reported accounts of prospective voters returning home as the information they received regarding their station through the ECP texting service was incorrect. Similarly many Pakistanis rushed from one end of the city to another, claiming that their vote was not registered in the constituency that they resided in.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) published a preliminary report on voting conditions across the country. It highlights the lack of attention paid not only to the voters, but the polling officers themselves. Many polling booths did not have proper ventilation or cooling facilities, nor were these officers provided with necessary meals and refreshments.

While urban areas witnessed increased female political participation- many women in rural areas were disenfranchised, despite having their vote registered. In fact, in some areas such as Toba Tek Singh and Mandi Bahauddin, it was polling agents themselves that were hesitant to allow female vote to be cast.

These events point towards grave questions that threaten both freedom and democracy in Pakistan. Is it not the right of every Pakistani to not only exercise the power of their vote, but to do it in a hassle free manner? When will the women of this country be considered as equal citizens? How does this affect the national voter turnout for 2018?  And has the ECP undermined its own efforts of increasing registered voters since 2013, by simply not extending polling timings?  *

Published in Daily Times, July 27^th 2018.