Daily Times

Normally in a democratic setup, elections for legislative assemblies take place when the previous duration gets expired. They tend to rake up a rumpus and flare up a frenzy, as they should. However, the Kashmir elections come off almost always unnoticed by the rest of Pakistan. But this time, things are different. The extreme political polarisation concomitant in Islamabad and provinces is casting a great shadow in this valley of roses and ravines.The previous government of PML N had 35 seats in the house of 49. The PPP had five while the incumbent party in Islamabad, PTI, had only three seats. Would there be a big turnaround this time? Expectedly so.Elections for the 11th Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly are in the offing. All major power players–PTI, PML N and PPP–are showing their muscle by pulling huge crowds and making bombastic speeches. The speeches, one has to say, reflect the same battle that continues to be fought in the rest of Pakistan. The narrative of corruption, victimisation, accountability and controlled democracy hangs heavy in the air.Maryam and Bilawal have decided to censure the PTI by pointing out its lack of performance. In retrospect, the PTI leadership, including Prime Minister Imran Khan, took them to task by resorting to his oft-repeated claim of Naya Pakistan and putting up a furious battle to eradicate corruption and malpractices.The valley is getting animated by fiery rhetoric as political pundits have their eyes fixed on diverse crowd-pullers amid promises to move heaven and earth to come up with estimates. Tinged with their political affiliations, however, things are still unclear.

The narrative of corruption, victimisation, accountability and controlled democracy hangs heavy in the air

The million-dollar question begs what are the voters in Kashmir thinking. Certainly, they have to think before they vote. But the historical influence of Islamabad cannot be ruled out. This time, the incumbent government in Islamabad is facing massive challenges on the domestic and international levels. Meanwhile, the regional geopolitical scenario is increasingly volcanic with the US departure from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s expected takeover. Thus, Kashmiris have to think before they vote.Most of the political players are resorting to the blame game. PM Khan seems to be coming from reason. According to some commentators, this time, Kashmiris are going to take their future into account before voting. They would like to see who speaks for them in international forums and plead their case. Whom can they call their true representative? It is none other than Imran Khan. Other leaders are also promising of moving heaven and earth for them, but those are traditional elations slogans. The post-election period finds none of them visiting the valley or materialising their promises, let alone fulfilling their promises.The PML-N will be tested on a scale of their performance, which is certainly far from satisfactory. It is noteworthy that PML-N leaders, including Maryam Nawaz, have not reminded their voters of the performance of their previous assembly. In Punjab, they may have something to say about their metro craze and motorways, but literally, nothing in Kashmir. Nor can they claim any.So, the ongoing elections are not contested on a performance basis. The voters will only see who advocates their case without any election season. Khan’s speech in the General Assembly and his addresses in different world forums show that he is committed to the Kashmir cause more than any other leader. His befitting response to the Modi regime and his unshakeable resolve to the rights of Kashmiris on the other side of the LOC are relentless. Kashmiris have noted it. The victory in the Kashmir elections will give the PTI government a big boost to accomplish their agenda of making Pakistan corruption-free. It will also be a message for the international community that Pakistan is determined never to compromise on Kashmir cause. There is no soft corner in Pakistan for the Indian regime hostile to Kashmiris.At present, the atmosphere is rife with rigging charges, but that is an endemic problem. The Election Commission of Pakistan must take all measures to make them fair and transparent. In fact, these elections will be a test case of the 2023 general elections. Its goodwill is already strained due to heavy charges made by the PML-N; sensing its impending defeat. Surely, the PML-N is not going to accept results in case it loses the elections. But it can’t be helped.Now, the nation is busy with Eid and ritual sacrifices of animals. They may have forgotten politics for a while. But after Eid, a big match will hit the airwaves and Pakistani politics, with its traditional nerve-shattering competition, will be back with a bang.

The writer is an old Aitchisonian who believes in freedom of expression, a freelance columnist, entrepreneur and social activist