By Amir Zia
Monday, May 13, 2013
The News
Pakistani voters have voted with maturity. They have done their job. The challenge now for the new parliament and government is to make history by delivering what remained undelivered during the past five years – a clean, efficient, and corruption-free government.
All naysayers and doubters have been proved wrong. Pakistan went to the polls on May 11 and emerged victorious. Voters – young and old, men and women – ignored the Taliban threats and turned up at the polling stations in huge numbers to cast their votes, even in some of the most volatile parts of the country.
By ensuring an unprecedented turnout, Pakistanis also defeated those parochial fundamentalist forces which brand the process of democracy and elections against the principles of Islam. On the polling day, majority of Pakistanis again gave a loud and clear verdict in favour of democracy and the constitution.
All those conspiracy theories about a possible delay in elections or the last-minute derailment of the democratic process were blown to pieces. The military played by the book and those looking towards the GHQ for any overt or covert signals were left disappointed.
Agreed that the day witnessed several incidents of violence and terrorism in different parts of the country that consumed around 50 lives and left dozens others wounded. It is also a fact that at many polling stations the electoral process was marred by mismanagement, irregularities and even outright rigging. In Karachi, thousands had to wait patiently outside some polling stations for hours as ballot boxes, paper and staff arrived late.
But all this will prove a mere footnote in history. The bigger picture for the times to come will be that Pakistan witnessed overwhelmingly free, fair and transparent general elections in which people participated with extraordinary enthusiasm. Despite all the troubles and challenges of today’s Pakistan, by-and-large the mood remained festive and full of optimism on the election day.
At a Karachi polling station, where I waited for more than four hours in a queue along with hundreds of others, the biggest imprint on my mind remains how people voting for rival candidates shared jokes, threw witty one-liners at one another, indulged in serious and not-so-serious political discussions and agreed in their criticism of the slow pace of the balloting process.
Strangers became momentary friends. Some kind-hearted, good souls were offering free bottles of water and juice to the exhausted people waiting for their turn to vote. The younger ones were making way for the elderly and, surprisingly, no one was trying to break the line or showing any sign of impatience. This was Pakistanis at their best. The first-time voters beamed with joy as they walked out of polling booths showing off their marked thumbs. Many were taking photographs of one another – and even of their own thumbs – for Facebook and other social media platforms. The brave families were accompanied by their children including infants. It was indeed a heart-warming experience.
The Pakistani voter seems to have come of age. Although many parts of the country continue to remain in the grip of feudal lords and tribal chiefs and the electoral fate of candidates in many constituencies are still decided on the basis of clans and kinship, today’s voter has started to ask the right questions and judge and scrutinise candidates more minutely. The common Pakistani is now more politically aware – thanks to the media explosion – and is definitely more demanding. The ordinary voter cannot be taken for granted now. This trend remains irreversible.
Imran Khan’s tsunami, though failing to surge, played some role in mobilising many young voters and bringing issues such as corruption to the centre-stage.
The political parties will have to raise the bar of their performance manifold if they have to stay in the game and ensure the continuity of the democratic process. They have to be more open, more accountable and democratic to woo the present and future voters.
In a diverse and populous country like Pakistan, these parties will have to be pluralistic if they want to reach new frontiers and expand or maintain their current support-base. On the tangible level, they will have to take care of their public image, which cannot be made by pretence alone. The politicians will have to walk the talk. In the age of an open media and an independent judiciary, corruption and graft will surely sink their chances of getting re-elected.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) under President Asif Ali Zardari failed to get rid of this negative image. This remains one of the key factors for its severe beating in these elections.
The political parties also need to snap ties with criminals and mafias, which have politicised crime and criminalised politics. Karachi remains the prime example of this trend in which all the major parties have contributed in making the situation worse.
The PPP, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the Awami National Party (ANP) and other, lesser, entities must move to get rid of extortionists, criminals and killers within their ranks.
The MQM managed to hold on to its turf in these elections amidst allegations of rigging and use of strong-arm tactics in select constituencies, but the party must read the signs of the time and reach out to the new, politically aware and educated voter, who primarily wants rule of law and peace in the city.
Under the able hands of President Zardari, the PPP, unfortunately, has been reduced in these elections as largely being a representative of rural Sindh. It needs to do a lot of soul-searching and rethinking. The tricks and double-games of patronising criminals under the garb of so-called peace committees, turning a blind eye to corruption, inefficiency and mismanagement threaten to wipe out the once popular legacy of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his daughter Benazir. Yes, suppression by dictators could not damage the PPP, but the ways of Zardari and his close coterie did exactly this in the last five years. Will the young Bilawal Bhutto Zardari be able to make a difference in the coming years? Will he be able to weed out the corrupt from the PPP ranks and give the party a new vision and ideological basis? At least for now, Bilawal’s chances of performing such a miracle appear slim.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won the nod of approval from the majority on the basis of positive public perception about its efficiency, capacity to handle the economy, an experienced team, and as a party holding moderate views.
Nawaz Sharif – all set to make history by becoming prime minister for the third time – will have to perform a high-wire act now to come up to these expectations which include turning around the economy and handling the challenge of extremism and terrorism. At the same time, he also needs to curb some of his strong instincts, which landed him in trouble in the past.
In today’s Pakistan, muzzling the press won’t be the answer to criticism of his government. It is undoable now. On this front, he must learn the lesson of tolerance from the PPP. Trying to attack the Supreme Court premises with the help of goons also won’t be a bright idea in today’s Pakistan.
Managing civil-military relations also remains a key challenge for the coming Sharif government. The institutions must work under the parameters set by the constitution and not compete against each other. The desire to dominate and the failure to build a consensus on key issues – such as the war against terrorism and extremism – can prove lethal for the country and its democratic process.
Pakistani voters have voted with maturity. They have done their job. The challenge now for the new parliament and government is to make history by delivering what remained undelivered during the past five years – a clean, efficient, and corruption-free government. A government that can tackle the twin challenges of economy and terrorism. Is that too much to ask for?
Monday, May 13, 2013
The News
Pakistani voters have voted with maturity. They have done their job. The challenge now for the new parliament and government is to make history by delivering what remained undelivered during the past five years – a clean, efficient, and corruption-free government.
All naysayers and doubters have been proved wrong. Pakistan went to the polls on May 11 and emerged victorious. Voters – young and old, men and women – ignored the Taliban threats and turned up at the polling stations in huge numbers to cast their votes, even in some of the most volatile parts of the country.
By ensuring an unprecedented turnout, Pakistanis also defeated those parochial fundamentalist forces which brand the process of democracy and elections against the principles of Islam. On the polling day, majority of Pakistanis again gave a loud and clear verdict in favour of democracy and the constitution.
All those conspiracy theories about a possible delay in elections or the last-minute derailment of the democratic process were blown to pieces. The military played by the book and those looking towards the GHQ for any overt or covert signals were left disappointed.
Agreed that the day witnessed several incidents of violence and terrorism in different parts of the country that consumed around 50 lives and left dozens others wounded. It is also a fact that at many polling stations the electoral process was marred by mismanagement, irregularities and even outright rigging. In Karachi, thousands had to wait patiently outside some polling stations for hours as ballot boxes, paper and staff arrived late.
But all this will prove a mere footnote in history. The bigger picture for the times to come will be that Pakistan witnessed overwhelmingly free, fair and transparent general elections in which people participated with extraordinary enthusiasm. Despite all the troubles and challenges of today’s Pakistan, by-and-large the mood remained festive and full of optimism on the election day.
At a Karachi polling station, where I waited for more than four hours in a queue along with hundreds of others, the biggest imprint on my mind remains how people voting for rival candidates shared jokes, threw witty one-liners at one another, indulged in serious and not-so-serious political discussions and agreed in their criticism of the slow pace of the balloting process.
Strangers became momentary friends. Some kind-hearted, good souls were offering free bottles of water and juice to the exhausted people waiting for their turn to vote. The younger ones were making way for the elderly and, surprisingly, no one was trying to break the line or showing any sign of impatience. This was Pakistanis at their best. The first-time voters beamed with joy as they walked out of polling booths showing off their marked thumbs. Many were taking photographs of one another – and even of their own thumbs – for Facebook and other social media platforms. The brave families were accompanied by their children including infants. It was indeed a heart-warming experience.
The Pakistani voter seems to have come of age. Although many parts of the country continue to remain in the grip of feudal lords and tribal chiefs and the electoral fate of candidates in many constituencies are still decided on the basis of clans and kinship, today’s voter has started to ask the right questions and judge and scrutinise candidates more minutely. The common Pakistani is now more politically aware – thanks to the media explosion – and is definitely more demanding. The ordinary voter cannot be taken for granted now. This trend remains irreversible.
Imran Khan’s tsunami, though failing to surge, played some role in mobilising many young voters and bringing issues such as corruption to the centre-stage.
The political parties will have to raise the bar of their performance manifold if they have to stay in the game and ensure the continuity of the democratic process. They have to be more open, more accountable and democratic to woo the present and future voters.
In a diverse and populous country like Pakistan, these parties will have to be pluralistic if they want to reach new frontiers and expand or maintain their current support-base. On the tangible level, they will have to take care of their public image, which cannot be made by pretence alone. The politicians will have to walk the talk. In the age of an open media and an independent judiciary, corruption and graft will surely sink their chances of getting re-elected.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) under President Asif Ali Zardari failed to get rid of this negative image. This remains one of the key factors for its severe beating in these elections.
The political parties also need to snap ties with criminals and mafias, which have politicised crime and criminalised politics. Karachi remains the prime example of this trend in which all the major parties have contributed in making the situation worse.
The PPP, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the Awami National Party (ANP) and other, lesser, entities must move to get rid of extortionists, criminals and killers within their ranks.
The MQM managed to hold on to its turf in these elections amidst allegations of rigging and use of strong-arm tactics in select constituencies, but the party must read the signs of the time and reach out to the new, politically aware and educated voter, who primarily wants rule of law and peace in the city.
Under the able hands of President Zardari, the PPP, unfortunately, has been reduced in these elections as largely being a representative of rural Sindh. It needs to do a lot of soul-searching and rethinking. The tricks and double-games of patronising criminals under the garb of so-called peace committees, turning a blind eye to corruption, inefficiency and mismanagement threaten to wipe out the once popular legacy of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his daughter Benazir. Yes, suppression by dictators could not damage the PPP, but the ways of Zardari and his close coterie did exactly this in the last five years. Will the young Bilawal Bhutto Zardari be able to make a difference in the coming years? Will he be able to weed out the corrupt from the PPP ranks and give the party a new vision and ideological basis? At least for now, Bilawal’s chances of performing such a miracle appear slim.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won the nod of approval from the majority on the basis of positive public perception about its efficiency, capacity to handle the economy, an experienced team, and as a party holding moderate views.
Nawaz Sharif – all set to make history by becoming prime minister for the third time – will have to perform a high-wire act now to come up to these expectations which include turning around the economy and handling the challenge of extremism and terrorism. At the same time, he also needs to curb some of his strong instincts, which landed him in trouble in the past.
In today’s Pakistan, muzzling the press won’t be the answer to criticism of his government. It is undoable now. On this front, he must learn the lesson of tolerance from the PPP. Trying to attack the Supreme Court premises with the help of goons also won’t be a bright idea in today’s Pakistan.
Managing civil-military relations also remains a key challenge for the coming Sharif government. The institutions must work under the parameters set by the constitution and not compete against each other. The desire to dominate and the failure to build a consensus on key issues – such as the war against terrorism and extremism – can prove lethal for the country and its democratic process.
Pakistani voters have voted with maturity. They have done their job. The challenge now for the new parliament and government is to make history by delivering what remained undelivered during the past five years – a clean, efficient, and corruption-free government. A government that can tackle the twin challenges of economy and terrorism. Is that too much to ask for?
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