All depends on real time intelligence and will to act firmly
The recourse to muscle power during the elections has been a common though manageable problem in the past. In case of support from unseen quarters, however, this can assume uncontrollable proportions. Polls related violence has so far been a part of the culture of intolerance that has only been marginally eradicated during the last five years of democratic rule. Despite the PML-N leadership trying to create hysteria over the so-called Memo Gate and Mian Shahbaz declaring that he was going to drag President Zardari in the streets of Lahore, the traditional rivals ruling at the centre and Punjab have by and large displayed patience with critics and political opponents. One is not sure though that the sentiment has trickled down to the middle ranking leadership and the workers below. The CEC thinks that there can be an attempt to sabotage the polls through violence. He believes that the leaders of the political parties can play a crucial role in pre-empting this. There is a therefore a need for cooperation by the political leadership to keep the polls peaceful.
The election campaign this time is taking place under the shadow of terror. The parties are entering the electoral fray with caution. By announcing that they would target the ANP, the PPP, and the MQM, the TTP has already queered the pitch against the three. This explains why only the PML-N, PTI and JUI-F have so far been able to hold large rallies. On Tuesday, the ANP which claims to have lost about 750 workers during the last five years launched its election campaign in Peshawar. The move was meant to test the waters. Even the parties given indirect blessings by the TTP have hesitated from holding a big gathering in Karachi. Here the ANP claims that 35 of its offices have been forcibly shut down after attacks. The party’s electoral activity has thus been reduced to door-to-door campaign. Aiming a notch higher, the PPP hopes to hold small gatherings in selected constituencies. The MQM which too is in the line of fire is mulling holding public gatherings. It is really courageous on the part of the Baloch nationalists who face a double whammy to contest the elections, albeit tentatively.
Holding a violence-free election this time is tied up with the more complicated issue of keeping the terrorists under control. While political parties have to do their best to persuade their candidates and workers to follow the election code, only the law enforcement agencies supported by security agencies can stop the terrorist attacks. Any attack on a major leader anywhere in the country could evoke strong reaction from the concerned party’s workers leading to unpredictable consequences. All depends on real time intelligence shared with the law enforcers combined with a will on the latter’s part to act firmly against those operating from the shadows.
