ECP urged to ensure free, fair elections in ex-FATA

Political leaders point to the ambiguity surrounding elections, lack of level playing field

JAMRUD: The apex poll body has been urged to ensure that all arrangements are in place for holding a free, fair and impartial election in the newly-merged districts later this week.

This was urged by speakers at a conference on the elections titled “Upcoming provincial assembly elections in the newly-merged areas: People’s feelings, fears and hopes” at the Jamrud Press Club in the Khyber Tribal District on Monday.

The speakers contended that holding free and fair elections will not only help provide a representative forum to the neglected sections of society in the war-hit region but also help establish democratic values in the society.

Parliamentarians, political, social and human rights activists, legal experts, educationalists, health professionals, policy experts, and members of civil society, students and youth organizations besides a large number of media professionals attended the conference.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) local leader Ghufranullah Khaiberi said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should provide a level playing field to all contesting candidates in order to make sure voters make the right choices when electing candidates.

He asked the ECP to take notice of the myriad of code of conduct violations in the erstwhile federally administered tribal areas (Fata) where he claimed that candidates were spending millions of rupees on their campaigns.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Khyber District President Hazrat Wali Afridi said that even though the elections were just a few days away, there was still confusion and ambiguity surrounding it.

Awami National Party (ANP) Khyber President Manzoor Afridi alleged that restoration of incentives for the tribal leaders or ‘Maliks’ at a time when elections were just a few days away was another form of pre-poll rigging.

Mainstreaming of ex-FATA, G-B to ‘counter foreign machinations’

Senior journalist Ibrahim Shinwari asked political parties to play their due role in politically mobilizing the masses to come out and cast their votes.

Engineer Saiful Islam said that residents of the newly-merged tribal districts were optimistic about the future of their areas. He noted that a rally led by women in the traditional tribal society speaks volume about how change was making its way to the frontier.

Tribal elder Malik Zeena Gul Afridi demanded an increase in the number of polling stations for women.

Some of the participants expressed their concerns over the slow pace of reforms and asked the government to let the merger process come to fruition.

Insaf Students Federation President Said Rahim Afridi, however; said that people were experiencing the democratic process for the provincial assembly for the first time in the region.

Afridi conceded that overnight change was impossible and that they should expect some problems.

“People may have some reservations but time will teach us how to move forward,” he said, urging the people to remain patient and play their due role in promoting the cause of democracy by supporting the upcoming provincial assembly elections.

Business community member Mujeebur Rahman Shinwari asked the government to pay more attention to the economy of the region after building political institutions.

He asked the government to declare the newly-merged area as tax-free for at least five years as pledged by the last government. Further, he asked to provide additional facilities to the business community and to enhance bilateral trade with neighbouring Afghanistan.  

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2019.