Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar has declared that there was no policy to oust anyone from the political process, assuring that government would investigate the complaints about hurdles to stop some people from taking part in electoral process. Speaking during a television interview, he said he believed people involved in the May 09 incident should not be public representatives yet at the same time clarified that he does not believe entire PTI should be linked to events of that day.
There is no doubt that May 09 attacks are still haunting the PTI leadership, as a majority is underground finding it difficult to complete formalities for contesting forthcoming general elections. Cases registered and their judicial repercussions notwithstanding, there are also allegations about snatching of nomination forms, threats being hurled and abduction of potential candidates or their nominees. While electoral challenges on account of judicial processes are understandable, administrative hurdles in the way of potential candidates or parties, if true, constitute instances of pre-polls rigging. Reports on social media can be dubbed as propaganda to win sympathies of the public opinion but some leaders and candidates also approached courts with requests for provision of congenial atmosphere for submission of nomination papers and other electoral processes. In this backdrop, the pledge of caretaker PM to investigate such incidents augurs well and one hopes prompt action would be taken to redress grievances of all candidates and parties.
The Prime Minister has also promised that he would take up this issue with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), forgetting that the Commission has no paraphernalia to effectively address complaints of administrative interference in the polls’ process. The very objective of installation of a caretaker government after dissolution of National or Provincial assemblies was to ensure that entire electoral process is undertaken in a fair and transparent manner. It is widely hoped that general elections would help extricate the country out of economic and financial mess yet crisis would persist if elections lose their credibility. How an elected government would deliver as per expectations of the people if legitimacy of the polls is challenged and protests start against new government from the very outset. It is, therefore, responsibility of all institutions and stakeholders to contribute their share in making the electoral process credible in true sense of the word.
