Finally the Judicial Commission is in action to probe whether 2013 General Elections in Pakistan were systematically rigged, and if so, who was responsible? Most of the political parties have either submitted the evidence they possess, to prove their claim of rigging. As it appears, the submitted evidence may not be much relevant to the terms of the Commission which is looking for something concrete to prove systematic rigging. Commission is putting the onus on the political parties to prove the allegations, while there are attempts by some parties to throw the leg work of investigation on the Commission itself. We all know that nothing much will come out of the probe; it’s not logical that a party securing majority in one province cries foul if it loses in another province — that’s what the choice of people is. In case of systematic rigging, that party would have lost everywhere.
However, if the Commission is really interested to look for systematic rigging, then shall go for election data of Dir, Malakand and Swat constituencies. It has been widely reported in the media that all the political parties — PML-N and Q, PTI, JI, ANP, PPP and JUI-F agreed to bar women voters from using their right to vote in these constituencies. Written or verbal agreements were put in placed at local level to ensure disenfranchising of women voters. JI Ameer, Siraj-ul-Haq, who himself won one of such seats, accepted the presence of such agreements (to bar women voters) justifying the same under security excuse.
As ECP failed to take any action against those culprits, therefore these parties are bold enough to repeat the same crime elsewhere — this time in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) legislative assembly elections. Similar agreements are being reported, endorsed by political parties to exclude women from the democratic process — this time excuse: to uphold local traditions.
Do we need another Judicial Commission to probe GB assembly elections in near future; why not take action at this stage? People of Pakistan need to see the real face of those political parties who never get tired of talking about women rights when campaigning in urban metropolises.
Waiting for Election Commission to take action — now!
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arabia