The verdict is finally out. The judicial commission (JC), assigned to probe allegations of massive rigging in Pakistan’s 2013 general elections, has declared that the polls were largely “organized and conducted fairly and in accordance with the law.”
Due to lack of clear evidence, the JC declared that claims of stealing public mandate through a plan to manipulate or influence the elections could not be substantiated.
However, the commission report mentions that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) request for an inquiry was not “entirely unjustified” as there were “some lapses by the Election Commission of Pakistan.”
After the verdict, the PTI has faced heavy criticism from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for wasting the nation’s two years on baseless allegations, while others have raised doubts about the future Imran Khan’s political career.
However, the commission’s decision has been accepted by Imran Khan’s PTI with a heavy heart but his party should not be completely disappointed.
There is no doubt that the party, which led calls for the judicial inquiry, has played a pivotal role in reviving political activism across Pakistan by creating greater political consciousness among the common man. For probably the first time in Pakistan’s nascent democracy, people took out to streets in large numbers to show their power for preserving sanctity of the ballot.
It was only after a 123-day long public sit-in protest that the government finally succumbed to demands of conducting an inquiry into the 2013 general elections.
The public protests, and subsequent formation of a JC, symbolize that people have had enough; that they will no longer be bogged down by the status quo anymore and will stand up to challenge any infringement of their rights.
The post-election struggle should also be seen in the perspective of pushing for reforms in the country’s electoral process.
The PTI was highly critical of the role of Returning Officers (RO’s) in the elections, claiming that these officers were negligent in their duties and were involved in manipulating the outcome of polls.
In the aftermath of JC report, the good news is that Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that it will soon administratively reshuffle itself by clearly defining the role of each officer and ensure their adequate training.
The ECP will also finalize wider ranging electoral reforms and a work plan for the next general elections. This is a positive development as the long-awaited overhaul of the balloting process will restore faith of voters in the democratic system and make future elections free from any controversy.
As the election hullabaloo is now finally over, it is time to move on. The PML-N government has been vindicated and now all political forces should join hands to tackle real issues facing the people of Pakistan.
A democracy that does not deliver wishes of the people and share fruits of progress with them is of little value. The political parties must now use Parliament time to show willingness and seriousness in debating issues of the common man.
The government should be supported in expediting completion of mega development projects, like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), to ensure sustainable and inclusive socio-economic progress of Pakistan.
