Threat of protest against rigging goes nowhere
Some said that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) growing popularity was due to the growing maturity of its chairman, Imran Khan. Others suggested that it was Khan’s irrationality and bravado that had captured the imagination of its expanding support base. The media and Khan himself hyped up the party to the extent that the party’s staunchest supporters began to believe that they would “sweep the elections” – no more, no less. And now that the party has had to reckon with the political reality, post the May 11 elections, with a majority in Khyber Pakthunkhwa, but losing out to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in Punjab, the election results appear to be a pill too bitter for the PTI chairman and supporters to accept.
And so Imran Khan spoke again on Monday, “We’ll take to the streets after Eid if poll rigging is not investigated in a transparent manner.” Question one: isn’t Eid too far away? Question two: what is the basis of his claims? Khan did go further to answer the second question. “It is baffling that the PML-N, which obtained only 6.8 million votes when it was at the peak of its popularity in 1997, managed to secure 10.4 million votes in the May 11 (2013) elections,” Khan said, forgetting that 16 years had passed since that fateful election, and that Pakistan’s population and voter base had since at least doubled. And so his rant went on to blame the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the higher judiciary, whom he earlier was a great supporter of. He said, “The ‘umpires’ did not remain neutral and impartial in the electoral match.” Khan also claimed a conspiracy to assassinate him during an election rally on GT road. It is a serious allegation but he neither named any would-be assassins nor pointed to any specific intelligence reports.
What may make sense is Khan’s suggestion that the PTI would use the “freedom to information” laws to “obtain the count of ballot paper counterfoils” to check for possible rigging. But as Khan should be aware, there are more forums available to resolve his objections. Given that he is soon to take oath as MNA, the forum of the National Assembly is available to him to take up the matter. Moreover, his objections on the drone strikes, should lead him to formulate a joint policy with the PML-N on the issue. And should the PTI not have much more to do at this point? Surely, the fact that it is yet to have resolved the matter of who shall get what ministry in KP, be the priority of its chairman? Acting like an angry politician will get Khan nowhere – or on the turn, may lead to people starting to ridicule him. He must know the right forums, rather than threaten to take to the streets.
