We need to move towards a situation where it is possible to conduct elections without military help. PHOTO: FILE
While the EC’s determination to push ahead with polls is highly encouraging, with preparations apparently having been made to stage them any day — especially since there have lately been so many rumours of a significant delay and especially since Dr Tahirul Qadri stepped into an already murky pond with his own agenda — it is unfortunate the military cannot apparently be done without in the country. Its role in checking electoral lists is possibly inevitable given the situation prevailing in Karachi, but nevertheless this is unfortunate. We should by now have reached a point where the civilian set-up and all its bodies are capable of conducting an electoral exercise. This is, of course, a task that takes place routinely in many nations around the world.
The army’s role will always raise the fear of intervention that goes beyond mere checks. This has happened before; it could happen again and such rumours do nothing to build confidence among people that polling is fair and the army a totally neutral entity with no role to play in politics. The calling in of the army is ironic given that the institution has manipulated elections several times in the past. However, hopefully it only operates in the role it has been assigned and will not act beyond it. We need to move towards a situation where such intervention is not required at any point and it is possible to conduct elections without military help. This, of course, is only possible if we can get the law and order situation under control and prevent that becoming a reason to call in the military each time blood begins to flow on streets which need to be cleansed of it — notably in Karachi where there has been a new burst of violence in recent days.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2012.
COMMENTS (4)
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In my opinion, the CEC made those comments (about delimitation in Karachi) unintentionally--perhaps slip of the tongue---thanks mainly to our journalists who never shy away to ask irrelevant questions..keep it up journalists.
In depth analysis pointing a geographical trend in forthcoming elections if at all held. It might result in critical situation for Pakistan. Hope Pak Army is keeping an eye on this aspect also and preparing for effective role.
Honourable CEC Fakhrudeen Ibrahim should have said all this when case was being heard by honourable SC.This is absolute nonsense and pointless to raise this question now. it has been three to four weeks since SC gave its orders in Karachi voter list case,after that CEC had meetings with all stake holders and Comission itself declared that there was problem with voter lists in Karachi.All this will only hurt the credibility of CEC .And as far as Army's involment is concerned again why blame Army ,SC verdict is very clear on this and it is the SC that has ordered the involment of Army in the exercise and that is very much reasonable because we all know how much politicised the civil beuracracy and police force in Karachi is .And also the matter of the fact is that except one stakeholder every other party in Karachi has welcomed the move so why should we take refuge in gossips and conspiracy theories ,why we always live in a Fear,why we always try to raise our eye brows when it comes to Army .....
Bad days are coming! Hope this time for bad people.On the top of bad people are mullahs with big titels.Let us hope shaddad malaik come as soon as possible.