ISLAMABAD: Ahead of re-polling on some polling stations of NA-250 in Karachi, Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani assured Chief Election Commissioner Fakhruddin G Ebrahim of the continuation of army’s full support.

A top level meeting between the COAS and CEC was held at General Head Quarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

The army chief assured the CEC about the army’s support in the upcoming re-elections on different constituencies, particularly in some parts of Karachi where elections are to be conducted again due to problems the first time round.

A close aide of the CEC told The Express Tribune that Gen Kayani assured Ebrahim that the army will help facilitate fair, free and transparent elections.

Election on reserved seats for women in balance

Meanwhile, Secretary ECP, Ishtiaq Ahmad Khan told media persons that so far 110 complaints have been received by the commission in regards to poll rigging. A press release issued by the commission said that the secretary has drawn attention to a sub-clause of the Constitution of Pakistan, which mandates that the members to fill seats reserved for women which are allocated to a province shall be elected through Proportional Representation System of Political Parties’ lists of candidates on the basis of total number of general seats won by each political party from the province concerned in the National Assembly.

Sub-Clause (e) further provides that the members to fill seats reserved for non-Muslims shall be elected through Proportional Representation system of political parties list of candidates on the basis of total number of general seats owned by each political party in the National Assembly. The aforesaid provisions of the Constitution further provide that the total number of general seats shall include the independent returned candidate or candidates who may duly join such political party within three (3) days of the publication in the official Gazette of the names of the returned candidates.

The independent returned candidates are required to apply, after notification as returned candidates, to the leader of the political party for joining his party and the leader of the political party forthwith is required to inform the election commission of his joining through a letter to be delivered to the Election Commission in terms of sub-rule (5) of rule 3 of the national assembly and provincial assemblies allocation of reserved seats for women and non-Muslims (Procedure) Rules, 2002.

At the eleventh hour, PML-N’s local chapter decided to campaign for Saifullah’s younger brother, Naeemullah Gill, for the seat.

According to a party leader, 100,000 pamphlets were printed for Naeemullah’s publicity, and teams of workers distributed them among the voters. “We also informed many people over the telephone about the new development,” he said.

Additionally, workers were deputed at polling stations to inform people verbally about the change of candidates, particularly the aged and illiterate people of this constituency in Faisalabad.

Naeemullah’s election symbol (comb) also confused voters. Another PML-N candidate from the area, who was initially vying for a national seat – NA-80 – but later did not contest, was allotted the same symbol and could not withdraw nomination papers on time, said a party worker.

And yet, despite these last minute changes and misunderstandings, Naeemullah secured 25,832 votes, winning the seat by a margin of 2,800 votes against his rival from PML-Q.

“This victory was surprising for me because we could not even approach all voters of the constituency,” said the newly elected MPA, adding that around 7,000 voters stamped on the comb symbol of the NA-80 candidate.

Similarly, between 8,000 and 9,000 people cast their votes for his disqualified brother unknowingly, he added.

Naeemullah explained how they received the apex court order around 12:30 pm on May 10, after which it took them approximately four hours to decide to contest. “We finally decided at 4pm, immediately formed 16 teams, and they started informing voters about the new scenario,” he said.

Saifullah’s nomination papers were rejected by a returning officer because of a difference between his listed birth date on his matriculation certificate and on his birth certificate. Even after this, an election tribunal (Multan) allowed him to contest conditionally.

However, later, this decision was challenged and a three-judge bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, disqualified Saifullah, hours before the elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2013.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the party which emerged as single largest in the National Assembly as well as the Punjab Assembly, in terms of total number of seats, apparently leads the list of ‘family system dominance’ over the democratic setup.

The chief of the party, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has been elected member of national assembly from two seats, NA-68 Sargodha and NA-120 Lahore, along with other family members.

His younger brother Shahbaz Sharif, who is considered the favorite candidate among party ranks for the chief minister slot of the largest province of the country, got elected from NA-129 Lahore and from provincial assembly seats PP-142 Lahore, PP-159 Lahore and PP-247 Rajanpur.

Shahbaz Sharif’s son and nephew of Nawaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz Sharif is elected member of National Assembly from NA-119 Lahore. Abid Sher Ali, another nephew of PML-N chief, got elected from NA-84 Faisalabad. Nawaz’s son-in-law, Captain (retd) Safdar has been elected member of the lower house of the parliament from NA-21 Mansehra.

Khawaja Saad Rafique, a senior PML-N leader got elected from NA-125 Lahore. His wife, Ghazala Saad Rafique’s name has already been included in the PML-N’s list for national assembly reserved seats for women.

Another pair of brothers from PML-N, Rana Afzal Hussain and Rana Tanveer Hussain, won seats from Sheikhupura.

From Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), President Zardari’s sisters, Faryal Talpur (NA-207) and Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho (NA-213) also got elected for the lower house of the parliament.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and his nephew Zareen Elahi are also among the winning candidates.

Tariq Bashir Cheema from Bahawalpur and his brother Tahir Bashir Cheema from Bahawalnagar were declared winning candidates.

Another pair of siblings who contested the polls is Sumera Malik, who won the seat on PML-N’s ticket from Khushab, and her sister Ayla Malik, who is among the top three candidates in the list of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf’s (PTI) for National Assembly’s reserved seats for women.

Many of these families’ members are representing the four provinces in the upper house of the parliament.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2013.

Currently, the PPP has a majority in the upper house of Parliament, at least for the next one and a half years. Major legislation would not be possible for the new ruling party without the PPP’s consent.

In the 1970 elections, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s PPP conquered Punjab, with Lahore being considered one of the party’s hubs for some time after that stunning victory. But the unofficial results of the 2013 election show that the party has once again been confined to Sindh, as it was in 1997 when the Benazir Bhutto-led PPP secured less than 20 National Assembly seats.

The party tried hard to restore its image in Punjab during the last five years but apparently its poor performance shattered its dreams. The PPP also promised to bifurcate Punjab, but even this slogan could not earn it votes in south Punjab.

In the 2008 elections, the Asif Ali Zardari-led PPP secured 97 National Assembly seats. After getting 24 reserved seats for women and four reserved seats of minorities, the total number of NA seats for the PPP was 124 in a house of 340. The party formed a coalition government with the help of MQM, ANP and JUI-F.

The list of PPP leaders who lost out in 2013 includes some big names:

Former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, two sons of former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani, former information ministers Qamar Zaman Kaira and Firdous Ashiq Awan, Punjab President of PPP Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo, former Public Account Committee chairman Nadeem Afzal Gondal, and Bushra Aitzaz, the wife of Barrister Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan.

PPP’s central leader and former federal minister Nazar Muhammad Gondal and Tasleem Qureshi are also among the losers.

Reaction

“Waqt karta hai parwarish barson/Haadsa aik dum nahi hota,” PPP Senator Babar Awan tweeted on the current elections result. A PPP diehard tweeted that “another bad news, Gillanis also lost their seats in Multan.” However, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari took a very different view on twitter, saying: “Cannot help but celebrate. My mother fought her whole life for this…PPP gave democracy to Pakistan.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2013.

As if led by mother’s intuition, she would ask Samar repeatedly to not take part in politics but his love for the party and Benazir knew no bounds. When the shooting and blasts happened that day and Mumtaz was informed, she rushed to the hospital. “The words of the doctors are still echoing in my mind when they said, ‘Amma jee, wait outside the room and pray for the recovery of your son.’ Those moments were tough,” she said, describing those never-ending moments between hope and fear.

Only a mother knows what the loss of a son feels like, she said, and burst into tears while narrating the ordeal she has been through for the last five years. “I remember the moment when I saw that the body of my son was lying on the bed with countless wounds and blood oozing out,” she said.

“My son has left me forever. The son for whom I dedicated my entire life, brought him up in extreme poverty, equipped him with education, but terrorists snatched him from me in the blink of an eye,” she said, while wiping her tears with her veil.

No help in sight

The darkest side of this story is that since this incident, no one has bothered to visit Mumtaz Begum. This widow is now living in a two room small house in Dhoke Ratta Amral area of the garrison city with her unemployed son, Faisal Mahmood.

The party for whom Samar sacrificed his life came into power and ruled the country for five years but it could not even succeed to give a low rank job to the unemployed son of the widow. Ironically, the slain Samar used to dream of doing something for Pakistan’s unemployed youth. The family is not demanding anything from the government or the party. But the neglect exhibited by the party leadership is a source of agony.

“None from the party leadership visited us for the last five years to see what kind of miseries we have been through after losing Asif,” she complained.

Asif’s widowed mother lost her elder son last year due to brain hemorrhage. Faisal, the sole bread-winner of the family, is also suffering from a fatal disease. But he is left with no option but to work on a shop as daily wager for their survival.

Faisal once had requested Benazir Income Support Programme’s Chairperson Farzana Raja for a job but to no avail. “She expressed her willingness to give me a job but perhaps she forgot this promise,” he said. He does not want to reveal details related to a plot that was promised to them by the top leadership of the party three years back. They never got that plot.

Yet despite the neglect and lack of support from PPP, the diehard loyalists remain loyal to the party. “We did not get anything from the government but still our support and vote is for the party.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2013.

On the outskirts of Rawalpindi, election fever is in the air.

It is felt distinctly in Chakri, PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s hometown. Within this area, and those adjoining it, his influence is strong, and his party’s presence on the streets is palpable. Back-to-back rallies, vibrant posters – mostly of the PML-N and PTI – and meetings make this unmistakably an election season that will be difficult to forget within the Potohari region.

Familial quandary

Chaudhry Nisar is contesting four seats – NA-52, NA-53, PP-6 and PP-7, while also campaigning for other Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidates in the Rawalpindi division that he awarded tickets to. Observers believe that he is also eyeing the chief minister’s slot.  Despite his strength within these areas, not all is simple for Chaudhry Nisar. Today, he finds himself pulled between familial and political obligations as three relatives contest NA-59 (Fateh Jhang).

He admits that it is challenging for him to campaign for his brother-in-law, PML-N’s Asif Ali Malik, when his nephew is also vying for the seat on a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ticket. Moreover, another relative, Sardar Saleem Haider, is also contesting the seat from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) platform.

“It is true that all three contenders for this particular constituency are my relatives. I am not here to speak in favour of one against another, but my affiliation with my party has been strong and undivided for the last 28 years,” he remarks confidently. “I will stand by my party again this time.”

Frenzied campaigning and personal attacks

The Opposition leader’s campaigning has been colourful, to say the least. Full of energy and anecdotes and vicious personal attacks, he offers people what they want: adrenaline.

Between Monday and Tuesday, he addressed rallies in Chakwal, Wah and Fateh Jhang.

While it was tough for Chaudhry Nisar to speak out against PTI and PPP, due to the political affiliations of his family members, he had no problem lashing out against PTI chief Imran Khan.

“We studied together and played cricket together,” he said, revealing details about an alleged 42-year old friendship. “Imran ignored two pieces of my advice: One was related to his marriage with Jemima, and other was his decision to enter politics. On May 11, people will prove that my second piece of advice was grounded in fact: Imran has no temperament for politics.”

It’s clear that personal details are not off-limit when it comes to electioneering.

“Imran spent most of his time in Europe in night clubs. His friends are actually foreigners and he does not trust Pakistanis,” he further claimed. “His only target is Nawaz Sharif, he doesn’t criticise Musharraf or Zardari. He is not sincere with Pakistan.”

At this point, the crowd at the Fateh Jhang rally began to chant ‘yahoodi lobby, yahoodi lobby’, to which a smirking Chaudhry Nisar replied, “You are badshah people, I cannot make such a strong statement.”

During the rally, he also stressed that he was not relying on his clan, but on merit. He said he has only one home – that in Chakri – which is not supporting him, either.

“I believe you people will laud your decision to vote for PML-N when this country becomes prosperous and economically stable again,” he exclaimed.

Zardari under fire

Chaudhry Nisar’s views on the state of the PPP are quite direct and uncensored.

“I want to tell you one thing very clearly: Zardari is not ZA Bhutto or Benazir Bhutto,” he says, without an iota of hesitation. “PPP was buried with Benazir and now a mafia is running the affairs of the party, with the connivance of two property tycoons of Islamabad.”

Correction: The story earlier incorrectly mentioned that Chaudhry Nisar is contesting from NA-51 instead of NA-53. We regret the mistake.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9^th, 2013.

ISLAMABAD: In the past five years, both the outgoing ruling party and the opposition faced problems implementing local body systems. However, for the years to come, devolution of governance is a theme these parties profusely focus on in their manifestos.

Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz calls for a decentralization of governance, whereas Pakistan Peoples Party readdresses the 18th amendment to support local governments.

The Express Tribune examines manifestos of mainstream political parties to see how they support the local government and the devolution of powers in the next five years.

PML-N

PML-N advocates consolidating democratic institutions and traditions both at the federal and the provincial level. This imperative of democratic governance, they say, can be attained through a rigorous process of decentralizing powers.

Their aim is to devolve political, administrative and financial powers to elected representatives at district and lower levels as stipulated under Article 140-A of the Constitution. PML-N pledges to hold local government elections within six months of the general elections. The party wishes to give representation to women, peasants, workers, technocrats, minorities and, for the very first time, the youth in local bodies.

The manifesto justifies the delay in establishing a system of local governance by putting the blame on military dictators. They say the system has not been able to evolve soundly because under military rule, a new system of local bodies was introduced and therefore could not survive the military to civilian government transition. Thereby, PML-N hopes to draft new laws that will replace the 2002 local government system.

PPP

In Pakistan Peoples Party’s manifesto, the responsibility of holding local elections rests with the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The party reiterates their resolve to abide by the eighteenth amendment in their manifesto, saying under their rule, each province will establish a system of local governance, which will devolve political, administrative and financial responsibility to the elected representatives.

In its manifesto, PPP claims to have devolved power to the grassroots level in ‘real terms’.

“Governance cannot be effective unless it is responsive to the people, and local government is essential for responding quickly and efficiently to the immediate and basic needs of the population,” the party says, highlighting the importance of local bodies.

PTI

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has crafted a bottom-up system of governance, where rural governance begins with the village.

Each village, as the manifesto states, will be governed by an empowered village council for which elections will be held on the basis of Open Free List System, under which candidates do not need to contest against each other.

PTI has the expertise of holding such elections, as their intra-party polls also followed the Open Free List System.

Village councils will be given access to self-generated funds besides provision to recurring and development funds.

‘Oversight committees’ comprising village council members will be created to oversee the functioning of health units, schools, police stations, revenue, irrigation and agriculture departments.

In cities and towns, the municipality and the city government will be responsible for ensuring smooth governance. These bodies will raise revenue independently for city development.

MQM

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement, when announcing their manifesto, placed most emphasis on local body systems of governance.

In their manifesto, the party has pledged to empower the Election Commission of Pakistan, as it will ensure neutral and impartial local government elections.

Under the devolution of powers, MQM wants to place the police under the city and district government.

ANP

The Awami National Party prioritises holding local body elections upon assuming power. Their manifesto states that for strengthening democratic process and improving access and quality of services to the people at their doorsteps, local governance is an absolute necessity.

Under its local government system, the party eyes an increase in seats for women.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2013.

Guarded by half a dozen policemen, a famous son of the soil sits on a stage to which the red carpet leads. Scattered rose petals everywhere give testimony to the warm welcome he has received. The man looks comfortable as he hugs a little boy while on stage in union council Mohra Noori in Gujar Khan.

Gujar Khan is known for producing valiant soldiers, including the incumbent army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. But today, the centre of attention is a man who is very much a civilian, and very much a politician; none other than former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

“My vote is for Raja Sahib who ensured a better future for the poor people by inaugurating projects worth billions in NA-51 (Rawalpindi-II Gujar Khan),” says local farmer Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmed, echoing the sentiment of most present.

With the elections less than a week away, Ashraf is actively involved in a door-to-door campaign along with his younger brother Raja Imran Ashraf. Now that he is no longer PM, he spends a great deal of time reassuring voters that all development projects in the area, worth over Rs12 billion, will be completed soon. We shadow him on this scorching summer day to witness the election campaign of this well-known political figure and to bring readers an exclusive interview.

“The PPP’s focus is on how to give more rights to the poor and the farmers while other parties focus on industrialists only. Through our farmer-friendly policies, we have ensured food security in the country,” said Ashraf while also claiming that flour was not available in the country when PPP came into power in 2008.

Ashraf, who is busy in his election campaign, said that his party has the experience of running coalition governments and even if the PML-N wins a majority in the general elections, PPP could make an alliance with them as well.

“I can say with firm belief that we are going to form a coalition government on same pattern as before, as our allies are also in a good position in this election,” he said, while agreeing that “there are obstacles for PPP, MQM and ANP, due to their liberal and moderate views.”

The former premier also predicted good electoral success for Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).  Speaking about his party, Ashraf played down the damage recent threats had caused. “Though PPP’s top leadership is scared of the prevailing law and order situation, we continue to stay connected with our people.”

Talking about the dampened election campaign of PPP, Ashraf said, “People are well aware of the reason why we are not organising huge rallies.” According to him, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is personally in contact with all candidates of the party. “I also receive reports of the election campaign on a daily basis.” Visiting Mandrah, Daultala and Mohra Noori, we saw over four dozen name plates of projects inaugurated by Ashraf in NA-51 during the last three years.

Asked if the development was at all skewed in favour of his own constituency, Ashraf said that he did not misuse public funds as prime minister and allocations were made to all the constituencies equally. “We also allocated funds for PML-N’s MNAs,” he said.

Citing the achievements of the government during the last five years, he said.

“We will win this time because of our outstanding performance during the last five years. We executed development projects in the country that could not be carried out during the last 65 years,” he claimed.  Ashraf is optimistic of success in the rural areas. “We have injected Rs900 billion in the rural sector,” he said.

Citing the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline as an example, Ashraf claimed that PPP government’s contribution to the energy sector is significant. “We have added 4500 megawatt electricity to the system,” he said, while also mentioning the work done on Bhasha dam.

Ashraf said that his party will focus on the energy and security situation in the next five years. “We will give more attention to these crucial issues this time,” promised Ashraf.

But while many said they would vote for Ashraf, his party may not fare that well, In typical style, many locals have divided their votes into chota (Provincial) vote and vadda (National) vote.

“I am supporting PTI in PP-4 but I will vote for Ashraf in NA-51 because he always fulfilled his promises to us,” said Ishaque Ahmed, a teacher in union council Bhadana.

Opposing Ashraf on the NA seat is the PML-N’s Raja Javaid Akhlas. “It will be a good contest between the two,” said Raja Babar Minhas who recently joined PPP.

However, PTI worker Ahmed Bhala claims that his party will prevail against traditional politicians in the region. PTI’s candidate Raja Farhat Faheem, however, doesn’t seem to be in a position to cause an upset, and while Jamaat-e-Islami and other religious parties may have a pull on the vote bank, Ashraf’s position seems secure.

Surprisingly, no one in Gujar Khan talked about the corruption charges Ashraf has been facing. It seems that, in the final analysis, all politics truly is local.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2013.

His name is Julius Salik, and love him or hate him, you simply cannot ignore him. Commonly known as J Salik, a former federal minister for minorities, he has earned a reputation for his innovative protest styles, and is now employing similar means to attract support as he contests elections for a National Assembly seat from the federal capital.

Salik, who is contesting as an independent, is one of the 51 candidates who are in the field from NA-48.

In his typical style, he doesn’t wait for people to come to his office, he brings the office to the people. Literally. These days, he has converted a rented Suzuki pickup van into an election office which roams around the city. He reaches out to potential voters by means of a megaphone through which he invites them to “come closer,” and then distributes pamphlets himself.

“My competition is with the Pajero group,” he said, adding that “Now it is up to people whether they elect a poor man or man,” he added.

Apart from the Christian community, he is also reaching out to the Muslim vote bank too.

Though his chances of success are slim as he contests against stalwarts like former MNA Anjum Aqeel Khan (PML-N), Makhdoom Javed Hashmi (PTI), Mian Muhammad Aslam (JI) and Faisal Sakhi Butt (PPP), he is brimming with hope. “I am quite popular and people know me as a loyal and honest Pakistani,” he said.

Although there are around 25,000 minorities’ votes registered in NA-48, his current campaign’s focus is the Muslim community and he is addressing them in different markets of the capital. “The response of the people is very encouraging,” Salik said.

He claims that he has been raising his voice for the oppressed segments of society for many years and that the deprived people of his constituency know that. “We will vote for the iron (Salik’s election symbol) because “he is always available,” said a group of aged Muslims, outside Aabpara Market’s Al-shuhda Mosque, after Zuhar prayers.

“They are Muslims but they trust me, and I will not disappoint them,” said Salik confidently. Pressing his point home, he said, “I was a member of the National Assembly thrice but no one can accuse me of corruption.”

Salik said that he decided to contest elections from NA-48 because this constituency, where people from all provinces live, is truly representative of the federation.

He also criticised the system of having reserved seats for representatives of minorities, saying that this system is one that prioritises selection not election, and is against the spirit of Article 226 of the 1973 Constitution.

“For many people, my protests are a source of fun, but I have never compromised on my principles. I was jailed seven times during General Ziaul Haq’s regime but I continued my political struggle,” he said. And he shows no signs of giving it up anytime soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2013.

The chief of the Awami Muslim League, who is campaigning for Rawalpindi’s NA-55 seat, is not just going door-to-door but is also addressing around 15 to 20 poll rallies a day. To try and bring over the youth to his side, he is banking on the PTI factor – something he mentions in every public speech.

“The people want change now and therefore my party and PTI are campaigning for the same purpose together,” he said.

While the outcome of the elections is still in doubt, he is sure that they will take place. “No matter how bad the situation gets, elections will be held,” he said with his trademark confidence.

Another thing he is certain about is the Army’s continued role.

“Army is a fact in this country,” he said in his aggressive style. “The army is now with democracy and the democratic set-up, and this is a positive development.”

He remains as blunt as ever. Discussing poll strategy among his supporters at the second floor of the Lal Haveli he said, “People of my constituency (NA-55) will not repeat previous mistakes this time by sending a ‘donkey’ to the assembly.” Still, it is clear that the PML-N’s popularity concerns him, and his speeches are full of attacks against them.

Predicting poll results, Rashid said that no one party can make the government this time, but that it does not mean change will not come.

“Youth will not spare us if we fail to bring change this time,” he said.

In his address at Zia Colony he told voters that he will complete unfinished projects and that he will do his best for the welfare of the people and for the betterment of the area.

“If I do not succeed this time in bringing change then I will never ask for your votes again,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2013.