Zubair Qureshi
Around 70pc citizens, including both – party members and the general public– are unaware of the substantive contents outlined in party manifestoes.
“This pervasive lack of awareness contributes significantly to the challenges associated with holding political parties accountable for their pre-election commitments”. This was reiterated by Senator FarhatUllah Babar during a dialogue session organized by Accountability Lab Pakistan.
The dialogue engaged relevant stakeholders including policy makers, civil society organizations, media (including digital media experts) and members of academia.
The objective was to bring the stakeholders together and generate a discussion around the pressing political, social and economic issues prior to the elections and increase public awareness of political parties’ stance on vital issues.
The dialogue also focused on the protection of citizens’ right of expression and its importance for improved accountability and good governance in the country.
The panel for the dialogue included Senator FarhatUllah Babar, Senior Expert on Elections’ Monitoring and Governance, Sarwar Bari, Co-founder Media Matters for Democracy, Sadaf Khan, Bureau Chief, Dawn News, IftikharShirazi, Former Finance Spokesperson MuzammilAslam and Co-Founder Bolo Bhi, Farieha Aziz.
Speaking on the need for focus on economic strategy in the manifestoes Muzammil Aslam said, “The adverse economic climate has led to widespread concerns and necessitates a comprehensive strategy for economic recovery and stability.
The IMFs next program is forecasted to be very tough and therefore the political parties need to focus on comprehensive strategies in their respective manifestoes.” Speaking on the need for focus on economic strategy in the manifestoes Muzammil Aslam said, “The adverse economic climate has led to widespread concerns and necessitates a comprehensive strategy for economic recovery and stability. The IMFs next program is forecasted to be very tough and therefore the political parties need to focus on comprehensive strategies in their respective manifestoes.”
