LAHORE: This is with reference to Ayesha Siddiqa’s article “The day after May 11” (May 16). I want to point out to all those who feel that PTI supporters have shown a lack of sportsmanship and are refusing to accept defeat gracefully that democracy is not a game of cricket being played for fun. This is a system that decides the fate of millions of Pakistanis. The voting process is at the very core of this system. Essentially, elections make this system go round. If doubt is allowed to be cast on the election process, the authenticity of the whole system is cast in doubt.
The 2013 elections we just had were by no means clean. There can be a debate regarding how clean or dirty the elections were, but no one can claim that they were free and fair. In such a circumstance, there should be utmost effort by the authorities concerned to check and validate votes in any disputed constituency. No one is denying the PML-N’s victory. It should form its government and keep the wheel moving. However, the Election Commission of Pakistan must keep working to ensure that rigging claims are looked into. Validating votes from Nadra and recounting in disputed constituencies will not stop the government from operating. On the contrary, it will strengthen the mandate of the government.
Regarding those who think that eliminating election rigging is impossible and that even PTI members were involved in it, I feel that while it may be impossible to completely eliminate the problem, it still does not mean that we ignore it. We still have to fight for our rights as voters to keep the system as clean as possible. Any PTI candidate or activist found involved in rigging must not be spared either. If anyone has proof regarding this, please put it forward. After all, this is about improving the system for voters of all parties.
Usman Masood
Published in The Express Tribune, May 18th, 2013.
