Election 2013 should have provided sufficient justification to cheer and celebrate to the Pakistani nation, starved of any good tidings for quite some time. The election process was hailed by the international media and the foreign election observers as reasonably fair and transparent – a rare acknowledgement by the West so accustomed to Pakistan bashing. Our public had breathed a sigh of relief on being spared from any major catastrophes during the three weeks election campaign and now looked forward to brighter times ahead. 
Alas, that was not to be. A few disgruntled losers refused to accept their results and took to agitation. Even our leaders of national stature (whose parties under-performed) accused each other of stealing each other’s votes - charged emotions culminating into inciting personal tirades and use of impolite language. Main roads have been blocked by the partymen in unnecessary demonstrations and dharnas in Lahore, Karachi and elsewhere, disrupting normal flow of traffic. The entire election process of around 800 seats has been defamed and sacrificed at the altar of irregularities highlighted in no more than four percent of constituencies.
The last nail in the coffin came the other day from the President himself, who broke his long silence to reassume the political role of party head. He went one step further by including international conspirators (states) among the villains who robbed the PPP of the number of seats it was winning. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is now the defenceless punching bag. In adversity, even friends and former admirers look the other way. Any mention of some good work or toil of many months or years that preceded the election process is not kosher any more. Not a promising omen for the new order!
What has happened to the concepts of accepting defeat with grace, sportsman spirit and superiority of law? The lawyers, educated liberals and the upper middle class men and women that came out to vote in hordes for the first time, inspired by the charisma of Imran khan with a slogan of change, have taken to street agitation instead of reverting to the due course of law that they claim to believe in. Curiously, the PTI dharnas of DHA in Lahore and Karachi have been disowned by its leadership (perhaps a quick lesson in the art of political double talk). 
The unanimously agreed composition of the ECP and the usual media hype had raised the expectations of the public beyond the factual level of competence, expertise and resourcefulness that the ECP possessed (not unlike other state institutions). The judiciary and the army that undertook to oversee and assist the ECP merely watched on the sidelines, avoiding direct interference (perhaps fearing discredit). The judiciary did not put in the requisite conviction and planning when the returning officers were neither imparted the requisite training nor were instructed comprehensively in the operating procedures. The decisions of ROs were routinely overruled at higher forums. 
The administration did not come forward to maintain strong vigils at the polling centres guaranteeing the safety of the staff and to fully prevent the customary irregularities and bogus voting – common malpractices that most who can, try in our system. All the above institutions are, nevertheless, not alone to be burdened with the entire responsibility. Our people and political parties that are equal stakeholders and the real executioners on the ground cannot be absolved of their share in the improper conduct.
Despite all these shortcomings, a monumental task of getting 50 million people to vote was accomplished, credit of which cannot be taken away from the ECP. We must face the ground realities and stop living under the pretensions and standards of the first world while our deeds are constantly relegating us to the bottom of the third world. Election 2013 is an occasion to take pride in and now is the time to rejoice over this achievement.
It is also time to feel proud of the immense political maturity exhibited by the electorate in the current elections. The people’s verdict has been unambiguous. They have voted against corrupt politicians and the incompetence of the incumbents. A clear mandate has been given to PML-N for its previous experience of governance and a track record of last five years. A new party (PTI) with a fresh, principled and idealistic agenda of change has been inducted with an opportunity to prove its mettle by forming a government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to play its role as a formidable opposition at the centre. The PPP has been marginalised by the people but retained in the province of Sindh with a major role of opposition at the centre.
The wisdom of the people is manifested in this exciting redistribution of political power. Three major parties have been awarded the control of one province each to compete against each other to provide relief to the people of their provinces. Their governance will be closely monitored by the public and the media and the next election will be performance based.  Other salient feature of the election has been the phenomenon of Imran Khan and the aggressive campaign led by his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leading to its remarkable success.
The PTI has emerged as a political force on the national spectrum (by polling nearly 50 percent of the votes polled by the largest party – PML-N) and in control of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.  No mean achievement for the first attempt of a political party that was no more than a movement (tehreek) of a few wealthy and middle class intellectuals till October 2011. Within a year, it had gained an irreversible momentum and had converted itself into a vibrant forward looking political party with escalating support from all strata. It wiped out an established nationalist party ANP in its home province of KPK and dug deep into the votes of other more established parties in Punjab and that of MQM in Karachi.
However, the PTI and its erstwhile leader felt disappointment at the election results that fell below the lofty goals that it had set for itself. This translated into some of the post-election disorder in Punjab and Karachi. Likewise, the MQM has been venting its frustration, fearing the turf of Karachi and the youth and middle class votes slipping from its absolute control of several decades to the fresh entrant PTI. Neither is a good reason to hold the general public hostage to inconvenience and to cast doubts on the entire electoral effort.
Unfortunately, the misgivings of the past and the frustrations of defeat keep lingering and never quite fade away. The test of real leadership is to put them aside, concentrate on the future now and to move on. Our nation is confronted with countless formidable issues. To govern and resolve these monumental problems will not be a bed of roses. Unless the liberals, the conservatives, religious fundamentalists, business sector, farmers, workers and all citizens of this nation pool their resources and work together to the path of recovery and progress and to build the nation, we will be doomed to another five years of darkness and gloom.   

The writer is an engineer and an entrepreneur.