PTI chairman Imran Khan addresses a gathering in Faisalabad on May 25, 2014. PHOTO: ONLINE
In Faisalabad, Imran Khan and his PTI have continued the crusade against poll rigging, with Imran, addressing a large rally demanding of the prime minister, the former chief justice of Pakistan and the editor-in-chief of a prominent newspaper group be tried for the rigging of the May 11, 2013 election. Mr Khan, who had begun his campaign on this on May 11, also spoke out against misgovernance, and the luxurious lifestyle of the Sharifs. A somewhat similar note was struck by the chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Sirajul Haq, who demanded a Rs1 billion package for Karachi while addressing supporters in the city, while also lamenting the poor state of governance and the manner in which affairs critical to the welfare of people were being run. The MQM, of course, continues to direct its primary focus on the situation being faced by its leader, Altaf Hussain, as his bank accounts in the UK are frozen, while we have also seen protests from other groups against inflation, power cuts and other issues.
The complaints being made cannot simply be ignored. To do so would be foolish. They are coming in fast and hard, providing evidence of how people feel in the country. Inevitably these voices act to weaken the government. It will need to consider what it can do to make the scene a happier one. More protests, right now, are planned for the future. No one wants instability or turbulence. To calm it, discontent needs to be tackled and policies for this put in place now.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 27th, 2014.
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@Usman: Well said, Sir.
I do not understand why our English dailies are always promoting stability and politics of reconciliation. I agree with the Editor's call for the government to respond, but whether the govt. response quells the unrest or fans it should not be the Editor's concern. It is the public's choice how it takes the response of the ruling party. . The path towards democracy is one that involves change, reform and accountability. Hence, demands of Imran Khan for reform of the electoral system is completely justified, just like in any vibrant democracy in Europe. . There are votes of no confidence as a regular occurrence in the world's leading democracy, with one upcoming here in Australia. Why are we trying to sniff out this a legal, and utterly critical discourse of protest against the ruling party? If protests are not allowed in democracy, then what is the point of democracy? . There is a lot yet to be achieved before we become a democracy, we are on the journey. Do we not want to see an election where a millions vote and everyone accepts the result, and no one alleges rigging? We, as a nation, deserve an Election Commission of Pakistan that delivers us this very basic requirement. And our intellectuals should support this, rather than calling it a disturbance or an annoyance. . Thank You.