As the general elections 2024 are knocking the doors, a large number of natives residing in the federal capital have moved to their inbred towns to become a part of election festivity, taking advantage of the long-holidays announced by the educational institutions.
Despite facility of changing vote stations being provided by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to facilitate the voters, still a majority of the natives prefer to cast their votes in their respective areas to show the strength of fraternity system which is not only a source of pride for them but also play an important role in the selection of political candidates.
As fraternity system is deep rooted in the social fabric of Pakistan and showing fraternal strength and pride during such events like elections is very significant, the voters of rural areas still prefer to vote according to their community decisions rather supporting someone based on their own will or pursuing the rightful decision.
Shafeeq-ur-Rehman, a government employee based in the federal capital for the last 20 years, said that although we are inhabitants of Islamabad and I can cast my vote through the postal ballot facility but after the period of five years, we are getting an opportunity to show our fraternity strength so I am preferring to go to my native town to cast my vote to a unanimously decided candidate.
Talking to APP, he said that the fraternity system always connects with our roots and help carrying forward our mutual legacies.
“Election also brings an opportunity to reconnect and have long conversations in election offices with those people who we miss due to our busy daily routine”.
Asfandyar Khan, who is a native of Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said, “For us, the election festivity is not merely limited to the polling day but it starts from the day when various candidates of different political parties visit us in “Hujras” where all the elders of the community sits and decide to show support to the mutually agreed candidate after a long deliberation”.
