Lull prevails: Political activities ceased after elections

No protest though electricity, gas, petroleum’ prices rise manifold

RAWALPINDI: Activities of all political and religious groups in the city have ended. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) after elections of July 25 have not conducted a big political activity even after four months.

Inflation, dollar, electricity, sui gas, petroleum items’ prices have hiked up immensely but no political party has staged any protest. Political parties’ city, district leaders are now just limited to statements. Political workers have limited their focus to business activities instead of politics. Despite allegations of rigging in national and by-elections, no candidate or political party filed a petition in the election tribunal, these are the first elections of the country’s history after which no candidate from the entire district has filed a petition in election tribunal and no petition was filed for recounting.

Political activities of all groups in the city have been stopped completely. No city, tehsil and district groups of political parties have conducted any meeting in the last five months. Offices of political parties due to being continuously closed for five months have turned into ghost houses.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2018.