Violent days

The May 11 poll has already left behind pools of blood in the run-up to the actual process of balloting. And, of course, we do not yet know what may lie ahead for us once this is over, or indeed on polling day itself, given the atmosphere currently prevailing in the country. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Sindh and Balochistan have each experienced their share of violence, with K-P the worst hit of the provinces. The blood continues to spill with news of fresh deaths coming in on a regular basis. It is hard to know where the killers will strike next. So far, the ANP has been the worst hit party, its leaders and activists falling to Taliban bullets and bombs. As per the threat made by that organisation, the MQM and the PPP have also not been spared, with the PPP campaign badly affected by security threats. JUI-F meetings have also been attacked and some analysts suggest that this is due to internal rifts within the TTP.



In Balochistan, the violence from nationalist elements has been still less discriminatory, with virtually every party contesting elections a possible target. An elaborate security plan has been devised for the province. How effective it will be is something that still has to be seen. We do not have long to wait now before polling gets underway.

The figures compiled are telling. In April alone, according to the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies, 110 people were killed and over 700 injured in poll-related violence across the country. Some 81 were victims of terrorist attacks while others died in clashes between workers. These are in many ways terrifying statistics. They indicate a complete breakdown of law and order in the country, where the rule of law seems no longer to exist. The bloody run-up to polling will inevitably have an impact on the election itself. In Karachi, in Quetta, in Peshawar and in other places fear will loom large, affecting turnout and as such the results. This is not a happy situation to be in, but we hope that, at least, sufficient security is provided on election day to avoid similar violence and to ensure that people are protected as they come out to cast their votes. Indeed, for the incoming government, tackling the security situation should be a top priority and we hope that they will deal with it accordingly.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2013.