The Election Commission of Pakistan’s rejection of PTI’s claim regarding systematic manipulation of 2013 General Elections involving the judiciary and the caretaker governments is relevant for future pathways of the democratic process. Unfortunately, the PTI has not been able to submit proofs of an out rightly manoeuvred election before the ECP after sit-ins which largely pointed fingers at state institutions, damaging people’s beliefs and breaking already minimal trust levels across the country. Video footages from previous elections were used as cues on media channels and social media spaces to incite the masses against the electoral process’s legitimacy but not a single video proof has been shared with the ECP or the judicial commission. PTI has however, furnished additional evidence to the commission that ran into 120,000 pages while the PML-N has submitted a 117-page rebuttal. Imagine if all this energy was going into actual governance and development work?
Pakistani politicians have to frame certain basic principles under which to work, strengthening the political system and its various institutional frameworks, whilst fighting for their individual interests. In this regard, Al Gore’s decision to accept the U.S Supreme Court’s decision regarding the presidential election of 2000, provides an instructive manner in which to lose in a dignified manner. PTI’s mudslinging might be justified in various individual constituencies, but questioning the PML-N’s mandate leaves a lot to be desired. In this regard, PML-N’s handling of the whole affair have been somewhat appreciable, but one cannot deny some uncalled for shenanigans by some of its leaders too. At the end of the day, everybody with any power flexed their muscle, using the electoral apparatus to ensure victory. The matter is subjudice and every politician needs to respect the judicial commission’s decision irrespective of who the decision favors.
The massive youth bulge, albeit predominantly urban, has been taking keen interest in the democratic process and Imran Khan needs to be credited with bringing people out on the streets, but in the long run, responsible political education remains absent which can be damaging for the nascent democratic process. Imran Khan, himself, is ruling a province which he earned through the same General Elections, so in retrospect, maybe he needs to learn from his own mistakes and concentrate on governance through which he might be able to win a bigger mandate next time around, preferably though biometric voting.