A Naya Pakistan

We as a nation won on 11 May

Scenario: Imran Khan demands recounting on 25 seats across Punjab, MQM demands re-polling in NA 250, Maulana Fazalur Rehman and PML-F reject election results in KP and Sindh respectively.

Right after elections, these theatrics are not unheard of but this time the elections were a bit different from the previous ones as these promised a ‘Naya Pakistan’. Keeping in mind the scenes described above, it seems that the much talked about tsunami failed to turn off the traditional hold of politics. But did these elections fail? Not really.

The first change that these elections brought was the defeat of the ‘Bhutto card’. The PPP leaders were hoping against hope that the legacy of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto would wash away the sins of their government in the past five years. All those wishes were swept away as people finally rejected the so-called electables for a change, mainly because of a lack of performance and vision, not tradition. What happened to the last two premiers that the country had prove that if your reputation is not squeaky clean, no matter how many billions you inject in the name of development funds, it won’t help.

The magic of the Bhutto card did work in Sindh as the PPP was able to achieve a majority by gaining 68 seats. This brought it in a comfortable position to form government there by itself. This is mainly because the people of Sindh are obsessed with the Bhuttos. For them, the name Bhutto is an inspiration and a way of life. Secondly, the Benazir Income Support Programme, initiated by the PPP government in 2008, even though some reports suggest that only 50-60 percent of recipients receive cash benefits, is what made sure that it won’t lose its voter base in Sindh.

Another change was the record voter turnout, estimated at about 60 percent, an increase of almost 26 percent from the last elections. The people have finally realised that if not them, then who will change the destiny of this nation? The youth came out in overwhelming numbers, partly because of the appeal of Imran Khan. His party deserves the credit of giving youngsters a chance and the results shows that 59 members of the KP assembly are first timers. This will further arouse interest of the youth. Young, enthusiastic and educated lawmakers are an asset to this country.

The politicians have finally been told that abuse of power, corruption scandals and anti-public policies will not be tolerated. The cases of ANP and PML-Q are testimony to the argument. The massive irregularities in some of the Karachi polling stations were before all, and yet again the youth deserve to be credited which refused to accept the results. Coming out and staging protests in such large numbers, defying all odds, they let know all and everyone that Pakistan has changed forever.

The PML-N was expected to win, not just because of the electables, but because of the fact that Punjab had been a role model for other provinces. The Shahbaz Sharif administration deserves kudos for working very hard, carrying out a large number of welfare projects with no mega corruption scandals. People did recognise this and responded by giving his party five more years at the helm.

The first phase of the transition is over and it is now time to move on to the next stage. This next more important stage involves the transition to a global and economic power. There is no doubt the problems facing the new government are not just huge but massive: Terrorism has eaten the very fabric of our society; there is no security and safety in many parts of the country. Our debt ridden economy requires massive stimulus to stand back on its own feet as our reserves are diminishing at an alarming rate.

It is a funny yet sad that we are a nuclear power but are an energy starved nation. Power shortages have crippled the daily life and business activities. Business production is close to zero and the abnormally hot weather has made life unbearable. The advantage that this government possesses is that it has experience on its side. The new cabinet members are professional and have already worked on key ministries before. Therefore, they are in a better position not to waste any time and immediately start on with their new assignments.

No elections in the world are perhaps absolutely fair; same is the case here. Some cases of rigging did show their ugly face. The issue however should be resolved amicably with justice accorded to every party. The pre-election venom should be spitted out and the real task for the betterment of the country should now begin. Any party which feels hard done should formally launch a complaint with the Election Commission of Pakistan. The parties should stop protesting by means of arranging ‘sit-ins’ and ‘long marches’. These won’t help but simply derail the smooth democratic transition of power from one elected government to another. The dharna at Lalik Chowk did nothing except create misery to traffickers and ordinary citizens.

We as a nation won on 11 May. The main two party heads, Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan, have vowed to help each other and let’s hope that this gesture and spirit of goodwill carries Pakistan to new astounding heights, as promised by our leaders in the pre-election speeches. And when it does, it will usher in a new era, one in which we could see a Naya Pakistan become a reality.