Before February 8, it was expected that the general elections would be the harbinger of political and economic stability for Pakistan, but the post-election phase shows that the country is still in the doldrums.
As stipulated by the law, the newly elected federal government should be formed by the end of this month, to be readying itself for negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the review mission of which is scheduled to visit Pakistan by mid-March to offer the country an opportunity to show performance on the second tranche and ask for the release of the third (and the last) tranche of $1.1 billion.
On the one hand, there should be a federal government to negotiate economic sustainability with the IMF while, on the other hand, the country is reeling from alleged rigging of the recently held general elections. It is expected that a semblance of the federal government would be formed by the end of this month, but it is not expected that the disquiet-cum-outrage at electoral discrepancies could die anytime soon, thereby meaning that Pakistan refuses to come out of the thick of crisis.
President Alvi writes to Swiss President for provision of Quaid’s documents The irony is that, on the hand, various quarters in Pakistan have felicitated the country for holding free and fair general elections while, on the other hand, almost all international election monitoring observers have expressed their doubts on the transparency and validity of the elections. The paradox is gnawing at people. Even an Islamabad-based election monitoring watchdog called the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) cast serious doubts on the authenticity of the elections in its preliminary report issued on February 10.
The report lays responsibility for making the elections controversial at the door of two entities: first, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) which delayed the preparation and announcement of election results; and second, the caretaker government which suspended cellular and internet services on Election Day (for more than 18 hours) regardless of security reasons.
Farukh Habib gets interim bail As if this were not enough. A hue and cry erupted on the existence of discrepancy between the total count of votes submitted by the Presiding Officers of each polling station on Form 45 (a duly signed copy of which was also handed over to the polling agents of the contesting candidates) and the consolidation of all such forms of a given electoral constituency into Form 47 made by the Returning Officer (RO). Taking into consideration Form 47, the ECP announced the final result, despite the fact that Form 45 was narrating a different count. That is, the ROs made their own voting count. The victims of the ROs’ count were some independent candidates who had been backed by the Pakistan Tehreke Insaf (PTI), members of which contested the elections without a unified electoral symbol.
The ability of the ROs to use their own minds, after disrespecting the dictate of Form 45, has astonished most conscientious Pakistanis, who believed that it was a democratic right of people to elect their representatives freely and fairly. The ROs used their minds at the time when the country was beset with economic uncertainty – it being on the verge of sovereign default on the repayment of external loans.
FO expresses grief over loss of lives in Philippines To the ECP’s consternation, the disgruntled polling agents have brought forward Form 45, which are being displayed on multiple websites to inform the world of alleged rigging. The ROs tried to truncate the PTI’s score. Apparently, Form 45 are consuming the credibility of the elections. The ECP should come clean on the issue of reconciliation between Form 45 and Form 47, to mollify restive voters in the affected constituencies. People’s mandate must be respected.
It is not that the result of the whole election is defective. It is that the PTI-backed candidates were apparently targeted to humble their tally – to soften their presence in the national assembly. Neither were they denied presence, nor were they permitted abundance.
The exercise of elections in 2024 has elicited two new phenomena: first, voters’ resolve to elect a party (or a candidate) of their choice outmaneuvered the state’s highhandedness which was meant for discouraging them (the selected ones) from even visiting the polling stations; and second, voters not only cast their votes diligently, but they are now guarding their votes to the hilt.
Govt committed for bringing more improvementsin agriculturesector: Minister The given precarious economic situation of the country calls for the formation of a national (inclusive) government and not a coalition one. The time period from March to June will be exasperating. During this time, Pakistan has not only to secure the third tranche from the IMF, but Pakistan has also to do two things: first, Pakistan has to negotiate a three year loan-seeking program with the IMF; and second, Pakistan has to introduce structural reforms in the economy.
Within the context of reforms, there is a possibility for introducing another constitutional amendment to effect devolution in toto, as envisioned in the 18th Constitutional Amendment, and restructure the taxation system for enhancing sources of revenue. Further, the National Finance Commission Award may be revisited for striking a balance between the expenditures of the Center and those of the provinces. Further, something has to be done with the National Accountability Bureau, which is used more for political maneuvering than for exercising accountability.
Police book 4 PML-N leaders in PTI former MPA Ch Adnan murder case In short, it is the bounden duty of the ECP to deliver on its constitutionally assigned responsibilities of conducting free and fair elections which represent people’s will, instead of forcing people into making a compromise with fabricated election results, even for the sake of national interests – an archaic mantra. The ECP must settle the dust of ambiguity before the end of this month by deciding swiftly and judiciously on the electoral disputes brought before it. The point is simple: avoid fudging the election results; respect people’s mandate.
Dr Qaisar Rashid
The writer is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at qaisarrashid@yahoo.com
Respect People’s Mandate
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14.02.2024
Before February 8, it was expected that the general elections would be the harbinger of political and economic stability for Pakistan, but the post-election phase shows that the country is still in the doldrums.
As stipulated by the law, the newly elected federal government should be formed by the end of this month, to be readying itself for negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the review mission of which is scheduled to visit Pakistan by mid-March to offer the country an opportunity to show performance on the second tranche and ask for the release of the third (and the last) tranche of $1.1 billion.
On the one hand, there should be a federal government to negotiate economic sustainability with the IMF while, on the other hand, the country is reeling from alleged rigging of the recently held general elections. It is expected that a semblance of the federal government would be formed by the end of this month, but it is not expected that the disquiet-cum-outrage at electoral discrepancies could die anytime soon, thereby meaning that Pakistan refuses to come out of the thick of crisis.
President Alvi writes to Swiss President for provision of Quaid’s documents The irony is that, on the hand, various quarters in Pakistan have felicitated the country for holding free and fair general elections while, on the other hand, almost all international election monitoring observers have expressed their doubts on the transparency and validity of the elections. The paradox is gnawing at people. Even an Islamabad-based election monitoring watchdog called the Free and........
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