Just a week ago most of us had gone out to vote because we felt we could no longer be observers on the sidelines if we wanted things to change. It was a good feeling. There were no hiccups in the process in Islamabad at least, where I voted. Everywhere it was the same story here. There were lines and lines of first time voters - of all ages - and each person had an air of expectancy about them. The wish for things to turn around for this country was almost palpable everywhere and in each polling booth.
Let’s first talk about the positives regarding Elections 2013. It is a reason to celebrate that an estimated 55 million people came out to vote countrywide. It was quite a spontaneous outpouring with some even flying in from destinations around the world because they felt so strongly about it. The complete annihilation of some of the most tainted key players from the parties, including some really big talkers like Chaudhry Nisar and Hanif Abbasi, is something.
We have now also seen, with ample footage available taken with video cameras available on each mobile phone, that the results were definitely tampered with in some leading constituencies and it is remarkable how those who experienced the unfairness in person are refusing to let it go and have resorted to peaceful protests in large numbers. It is this reclaiming of space by the educated middle class that is a big reason for celebration. Refusing to be undermined with titles like ‘Burger Bachey’, they are adding a, hitherto unknown, dimension to the outcome of the elections.
Yet another dimension, that is a direct result of these elections, is the eyeball to eyeball stare by Pakistanis all over with the MQM’s Lord and Master, albeit in faraway London, Altaf Hussain. His ability to scare people into staying quiet and putting up with his strong-armed methods or messages seem to be dissipating slowly but surely. It is quite amazing that within just 24 hours of his threats over telephone to a live audience in Karachi, the Metropolitan Police in London had received over 10,000 complaints and the British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Adam Thomson, had to have a press briefing to address the issue. The social media has been able to galvanise large-scale immediate action and reaction in response to unacceptable standards of behaviour.
On a personal note, I feel sorry for some of the charming and likeable few from among the MQM, like Khushbakht Shujaat and Haider Abbas Rizvi, who are left with the unpleasant task of clearing the deck of the rubbish that their leader churns out every now and then. Needless to say, no amount of charm is able to rectify his antics satisfactorily.
The use of technology in these elections, which made finding of the exact location for voting so much easier, was definitely a success. This and the egging on by the electronic media to come out and vote helped in the large turnout. The biggest plus is the emergence of a brand new party on the scene, with some of the youngest-ever MPAs-elect in its fold, who have got the majority seats in one province and can create a model of governance that can be replicated if found successful.
Now for the negatives. The tampering with results in some constituencies reveals of deliberate designing of the outcome. While this has been done in the past too, there is resentment about this on a huge scale. The weaknesses of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the way its members were selected and the dual problem of Fakhru Bhai’s age and having only one vote in any decision did prove as much a problem as was being suggested before the elections by some.
On top of that, the reaction by the ECP has been slow with no quick remedies, despite the fact that there are so many legitimate complaints. The selection of the aging caretaker Prime Minister and the role of the caretakers are under negative spotlight too in connection with the situation.
Even though the biggest Bilawal House was bequeathed to President Zardari in Lahore by Malik Riaz, so that Punjab could be manipulated and even though Asif Ali Zardari has always been known to have the last laugh in all difficult situations in the past five years, time, it seems, is having the last laugh. The PPP has been limited to a few seats only and many of its big names have had to bite the dust. The party’s message and legacy remain intact and can still resurface again one day after its excess baggage is shed and another able and charismatic leader heads it.
Having said that, however, it is quite annoying to visualise that the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly may be from the PPP - and we may well have to relive the awful days of ‘the friendly opposition’.
Another fact that is questionable is that why has the ECP asked the independently elected to join some party? It is not a requirement by the constitution and may be done by choice only.
As the country prepares to begin another democratic journey, there is still a lot of hope that there will be a marked effort at better governance this time. And that there will be more checks and balances. The gesture by Prime Minister-elect Mian Nawaz Sharif of visiting Imran Khan at  the hospital was gracious and well appreciated.
All said and done, one can look forward to continuous improvement in our systems, as in the next elections there will be two major new factors. The overseas Pakistanis will be allowed to vote and there will be electronic voting machines, both of which will make a positive difference. So we have to move on. We, in Islamabad, are happy that our replacement candidate for Mr Javed Hashmi when he vacates one of his two seats is none other than Asad Umar, one of PTI’s best.

 The writer is a public relations and event management professional  based in Islamabad.