Politics of regression

Bye-election for a National Assembly seat on Thursday in Karachi exposed the fault-lines of political turmoil. A low turnout, abject discrepancies on the part of ECP and resort to vandalism and violence made it an objectionable affair. Karachiites were on the receiving end as political parties contesting the bye-polls in NA240 were too uncaring for civil liberties, and were at each other’s throats for reasons of exigency. The duel also brought to the fore the inherent lapses in security, as the law-enforcement agencies seemed struggling to maintain order for the day. Though the MQM-P managed to retain its seat, which had fallen vacant due to the death of its legislator, it was no less than a bizarre electoral exercise that lacked enthusiasm and a sense of political rejoinder from the masses at large.

The violent showdown was quite unbecoming of democratic norms. Moreover, lowest turnout in the thickly-populated constituency of Korangi was a point of concern and reflected on the dismal role of popular participation in the representative decorum. Last but not least, the fact that the PTI, which had won a lion’s share in 2018 general elections, had boycotted the vote was another factor that took off heat from the show. So was the absence felt of Jamaat-e-Islami, which too has apparently lost interest in Karachi’s electorate. The rise of pro-militancy outfits such as TLP, and that too as the second biggest vote grabber in an era of polarisation, has some lessons to be drawn. Karachi, usually counted as a paradigm of liberal and progressive thoughts, very much carries the phenomenon of slipping into regressive politics as ethnic and sectarian elements rule the roost. So was evident in NA240 as major national parties including the PTI, PML-N and PPP were missing from the contest and the show was open to parochial considerations.

The victory margin of less than a 100 votes to the MQM-P candidate will surely be contested head-on. This might lead to more anarchy, and further the sense of otherness prevalent in the society. It is mandatory for all political parties to rewrite a code of conduct and strictly adhere to it for the sake of public peace. This is where the mantle of electoral supremacy rests.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2022.

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