In Pakistan democracy is taking roots. In 2018, a third dispensation received the baton of governance after the Military rule ended in 2008. While democratic norms will take time to sprout, the supremacy of the Parliament has been established. However, one trait of Pakistani politicians needs to be corrected that is the acceptance of the election results gracefully. While the winners celebrate their victory, losers cry foul and allege election-rigging. In the Occident, as soon as the polls results are made public, the losers are the first to accept the will of the people, congratulate the winners and bow out expressing their desire to continue working for the welfare of the people. Why go far, in next door India, during the 2019 general elections, Rahul Gandhi, a scion of the Nehru family accepted the defeat of the Congress Party, congratulated Narendra Modi on his triumph and offered to step down from leading his political party.
Elections in Pakistan have remained controversial over the past decades. Similarly, the opposition parties have been putting the blame of rigging in General Elections-2018 (GE-2018). However, ‘Commonwealth Observer Group’ described Pakistan’s GE-2018 as an ‘important milestone’. It commended the voters, the Election Commission, polling staff, political parties, candidates, their agents and the security forces for their respective roles in conduct of elections. The Group noted a clear improvement in election laws since the previous elections. Likewise, Ex-Indian Chief Election Commissioner, Shahab-Ud-Din Yaqoob Qureshi stayed in Islamabad/Rawalpindi as member of the Commonwealth Observer Group during GE-2018. He dismissed allegations of rigging in elections and termed these absolutely credible, free and fair. Meanwhile, Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) report ruled out any widespread or systematically organized rigging in polls, as being projected by few political parties. Moreover, Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) noted marked Polling day operation improvement related to the training and impartiality of polling staff as compared to previous elections. Keeping in view all these credible reports, it is time for the opposition parties to move on from the game of allegations with commitment to adopt a better system for future.
Let us take a brief look at the recently held elections in the former federally administered tribal area (FATA), which has now been merged in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). The region was merged in lawlessness, criminals from the hinterland would seek refuge to escape the clutches of the law enforcing agencies. Drugs and other social evils were prevalent. Terror mongers found a safe haven in the rugged and inhospitable territory. The topography provided ideal locations to the miscreants to establish their arsenals, training camps and factories for manufacturing suicide jackets and incendiary explosive devices to create mayhem in populated areas. Pakistan launched the military operation Zarb-e-Azb and decimated the terrorist hideouts, forcing them to flee or surrender. Once the combing operation was complete, the next logical step was bringing the residents of erstwhile FATA into the mainstream by merging it into KPK.
In a region where terrorism, extremism and lawlessness had prevailed for over seven decades, holding of free and fair elections by itself is no mean achievement
Elections were held in the FATA region on 20 July 2019. Some 2.8 million voters were registered for the elections, with 1,897 polling stations open from 8 am to 5 pm amid heightened security. Around 34,000 army and paramilitary troops were deployed in the area.
This was a far cry from the lawlessness and reminisce of the “wild-west”. The residents turned up early at various polling stations, waving Pakistan flags, chanting pro-Pakistan slogans and garlanding Pakistan Army personnel. Yet some doubting Thomas were casting aspersions at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). In a hard-hitting article titled ‘Whither ECP?’ by PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar published in weekly “Friday Times” of 28 June to 4 July 2019, the worthy Senator called to attention, that the ECP issued an unprecedented notification saying, “Pakistan’s Armed Forces shall assist ECP and make necessary security arrangements for conduct of elections in KP Assembly in the new districts of the province scheduled to be held on July 20, 2019.” The veteran politician opined that this notification was issued without consultation with political parties and the ECP also quietly abdicated all its constitutional responsibilities.
He called to attention the fact that the troops will set up mobile teams in all 16 constituencies and officers, including junior commissioned officers, “shall exercise powers of magistrate First Class” to try offences “in a summary manner. The erudite scholar concluded that “The stage has thus been set to allow the Armed Forces do whatever they want before polling, on voting day and during the vote count, without any oversight of the Parliament, the courts and even the ECP itself.”
In a region where terrorism, extremism and lawlessness had prevailed for over seven decades, holding of free and fair elections by itself is no mean achievement. Hindsight is 20/20 but the peaceful execution of the polls must be applauded. It is time that we move beyond allegations of polls-rigging and give democracy a chance to prevail.
The writer is a retired Group Captain of PAF. He is a columnist, analyst and TV talk show host, who has authored six books on current affairs, including three on China