The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Fakhuruddin G Ibrahim has resolved to ensure free and fair general elections scheduled to be held next year.
We have no doubt that CEC would try his best to fulfill his promise sincerly. Nonetheless, the past experience shows that the general elections particularly in Karachi are held on gun point by one certain group.
If the CEC wants to create an example about holding impartial elections, he should make Karachi a test case and ensure that free and fair general elections in real sense are held there along with the rest of the country. It is an undeniable fact that if impartial elections would be held throughout the country except at Karachi – the largest city, no one would recognize it as impartial as a whole.
As peaceful citizens of Karachi, let us hope this time people of the city would be allowed to cast their votes on the basis of their free will and whatsoever may be outside pressure, would not be allowed in Karachi in any case.
MOHAMMAD KHAN SIAL
Karachi
