'90% FAFEN data' shows all parties being provided level-playing field

No complaint of harassment received from district level officer bearers of political parties, says spokesperson

KARACHI: Amid all the allegations of political engineering or re-engineering, an election watchdog has said that the data it has collected thus far shows that a level-playing field is being provided to all political parties for the 2018 general elections.

“Ninety per cent data shows a level-playing field is available to all contesting parties. There are no complaints of harassment by the district level office-bearers of political parties,” Sarwar Bari, the spokesperson for the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), told The Express Tribune on Tuesday.

FAFEN’s findings belie the allegations being hurled by some political parties that a level-playing field is not available to all the parties running in the elections. The data also contradicts analyses in the international media that some parties are being edged out of the election fray in a systematic manner.

The remaining 10 per cent data involves reservations from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) about the fairness and impartiality of the democratic exercise, the FAFEn spokesperson said.

The two parties have accused the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which is responsible for a free and fair conduct of the election, of not providing a level-playing field to all contesting parties – an allegation vehemently the poll supervisory body vehemently denies.



The international media alleges that Pakistan’s security establishment is involved in ‘political engineering or re-engineering’ by pushing Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for an electoral victory.

“There is no credence in these allegations. If any such thing is ongoing, then the stakeholders should approach the Election Commission of Pakistan with evidence,” Bari said.

The FAFEN spokesperson believes the peaceful conduct of the 2018 election and smooth transition of power would strengthen democracy in Pakistan. He advised the political parties to depute “educated, well-informed and politically aware polling agents at the polling stations”.

Amid all the allegations of political engineering or re-engineering, an election watchdog has said that the data it has collected thus far shows that a level-playing field is being provided to all political parties for the 2018 general elections.

“Ninety per cent data shows a level-playing field is available to all contesting parties. There are no complaints of harassment by the district level office-bearers of political parties,” Sarwar Bari, the spokesperson for the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), told The Express Tribune on Tuesday.

FAFEN’s findings belie the allegations being hurled by some political parties that a level-playing field is not available to all the parties running in the elections. The data also contradicts analyses in the international media that some parties are being edged out of the election fray in a systematic manner.



The remaining 10 per cent data involves reservations from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) about the fairness and impartiality of the democratic exercise, the FAFEn spokesperson said.

The two parties have accused the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which is responsible for a free and fair conduct of the election, of not providing a level-playing field to all contesting parties – an allegation vehemently the poll supervisory body vehemently denies.

The international media alleges that Pakistan’s security establishment is involved in ‘political engineering or re-engineering’ by pushing Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for an electoral victory.

“There is no credence in these allegations. If any such thing is ongoing, then the stakeholders should approach the Election Commission of Pakistan with evidence,” Bari said.

The FAFEN spokesperson believes the peaceful conduct of the 2018 election and smooth transition of power would strengthen democracy in Pakistan. He advised the political parties to depute “educated, well-informed and politically aware polling agents at the polling stations”.