By-polls a 'one-sided' affair, say analysts
As the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) firmed up its grip on both the National Assembly and the Punjab Assembly through the by-elections on Sunday, political pundits quickly waved off the exercise, arguing that both the polls and their predictable results amounted to a public vote of no confidence against the entire system.
Former caretaker Punjab chief minister Hasan Askari said that the PML-N was in a shadow-boxing match, and that too all by itself, adding that the party was technically up against no real opponent at all.
"This was not a proof of popular support. Conversely, the low turnout is a vote of no confidence against this process," he said.
He said that the low turnout undermines the credibility of these elections and reflects the alienation of the people. He termed the polls a one-sided affair, pointing out that with PTI effectively barred from political activity and TLP's position predetermined before the elections, the outcome was a foregone conclusion.
He added that the people have clearly shown they do not trust the process. "These elections have no significance, a non-event kind of a thing."
Similarly, former Sindh governor and former spokesperson for Nawaz Sharif Muhammad Zubair Umar argued that PTI should not have contested the Haripur and Lahore seats, as they were effectively meant for PML-N, and the election process served merely to facilitate this.
He added that PTI, one of the country's largest parties, was not even allowed to conduct its campaign, and that the regime relies on brutal force to silence dissenting voices.
Both major players in Punjab, primarily PTI and, to some extent, TLP, were pushed out of the political arena.
He added that with so much being managed in pre-poll affairs, and all under public scrutiny, political parties should refrain from equating electoral victories with the success of their narrative.
Two PTI leaders speaking to The Express Tribune explained that the party's leaders were not necessarily in the race to win, as their focus was on preserving their core vote base for constituency politics.
Stepping out of the contest risked eroding even the traditionally "safe" votes, one leader maintained.
Another joked that a victory would have invited trouble, including FIRs, legal cases and police raids.
He said that when an entire party's leadership is forced to live in fear, it is unrealistic to expect voters to feel any sense of security. "People don't even openly associate with PTI, fearing state retribution."