Daily Times

Sir: I, for one, cast my vote without any duress. Till I read the secretary’s press conference, I was sure of fairness of elections. The press conference planted a cobweb of doubts in my mind. The secretary banks on certification of fairness by foreign observers. It appears that he has not read the ifs and buts in the reports.

The jaundiced foreign media used words such as `murder of democracy’, `Imran or Nawaz: Cobra in India’s backyard’, `Game Changer or Puppet?’, `Imran Khan Pakistan’s Deep State Seeks a New Patron’, and `Imran Khan is skipper, but who’s the player?’. The question is if foreign observers say Pakistan’s elections were unfair, would ECP re-hold the entire election?

One could only laugh boisterously at his remarks “The disrespect for people’s mandate on the basis of personal benefit is uncalled for, and against the basic principles of democracy”. How many times our three-time Prime Minister and Naya-Pakistan PM attended parliamentary sessions? Just recall the amount of times the PTI leaders cursed the last elections and the parliament, and hurled accusations against them at various rallies.

The army did a good job. But, now the ECP is out to cloud everyone’s efforts. NADRA told the Guardian newspaper that their system worked smoothly, without a glitch. But, ECP blames NADRA for delayed results? Let ECP rein in their tongues or resign before making public speeches to pander to baser sentiments of warped minds.

NIKHAT SHAHEEN

Islamabad

Published in Daily Times, August 3^rd 2018.