THE electoral process has moved a step further with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issuing the final list of candidates for February 08 polls, which shows there are 17,816 candidates in the fray. Of them, 11,785 are independents (including those indirectly affiliated with the PTI) while the remaining are representing different political parties. As for campaigning, it is interesting to note that one of the youngest politicians and Chairperson of PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is aggressively engaged in establishing contacts with the masses, throwing challenges to rival politicians but focusing more on blame game than substantive issues and sparking retorts from rivals.
The Election Commission has issued a comprehensive code of conduct for political parties and contesting candidates and adherence to the code could make the electoral process smooth, peaceful and secure but almost all parties and their leaders involve themselves in rhetoric and empty sloganeering as part of their strategy to win elections through fair and unfair means. False accusations are hurled, fake reports are circulated on social media aimed at character assassination of rivals and abusive language is used embittering the overall environment. The PPP Chairman deserves credit for infusing some spirit in otherwise dull electioneering but apparently he is doing so by blaming others and ridiculing towering personalities particularly the PML(N) for decisions and actions that were taken with the full backing and approval of the PPP when it was part and parcel of the coalition government. For the sake of political expediency, Bilawal has gone to the extent of accusing his own father of obstructing his way to the opposition benches in the last few months of the coalition government. But one wonders how the PPP can absolve itself of the political and other strategies pursued during tenure of the coalition government. In a bid to attract confused voters of the PTI, who are unsure about the fate and future of their party, Bilawal is telling them PML(N) was responsible for their sufferings and that they should take revenge by affixing a stamp on ‘arrow’ on the polling day. He also alleged that his family and party workers were “tortured by PML-N” due to political vendetta and he wouldn’t wish the same for any other party. Bilawal is apparently trying his luck to become the Prime Minister and uses every tactic at his disposal in a bid to revive the party in Punjab, where it has minimal presence but seems to be unwilling to change anti-Punjab rhetoric of his party. Same approach has been adopted by PML(N), which is throwing the blame of the existing political and economic mess squarely on PTI, forgetting the coalition led by PML(N) could not stem the rot. Senior Vice President and Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz had a point when she accused PTI of pursuing a policy of political revenge but it would be wrong to put the entire blame of the economic mess on the PTI two years down the road. No doubt, the PTI, with its flawed policies and inconsistencies could not make a mark economically but there are also bitter memories of harsh decisions taken by the coalition government that pushed the price-hike to new heights. PPP’s claim to provide free of cost electricity for those consuming 300 units a month has also forced PML(N) leader Hamza Shahbaz to follow the suit but the ground realities are quite different. And in KP, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians Chairman Pervez Khattak has vowed to wipe out Imran Khan from the political scene of the province claiming that 240 million people of Pakistan were now aware of the catchy slogans of Imran, Nawaz Sharif, Asif Zardari and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and that the nation knew the reality behind their empty promises. PTI leader Barrister Gohar Ali is talking about ‘vengeful actions’ against his party warning it should not be pushed to the wall. This is despite the fact that the party failed to substantiate its claims about absence of level playing field in the Supreme Court. As against all this, it is appreciable that the MQM(P) is basing its electioneering on issues facing people, especially those living in urban Sindh. Its leadership is talking in terms of improving the lot of the people by mitigating their sufferings vis-à-vis the menace of electricity and gas load-shedding, high tariffs, water scarcity and lack of educational and health opportunities for the common man. Problems of people and the country can surely be mitigated if all candidates and their parties shift their focus to real issues.
