Reconnected parties

PTI’s sustained protest could lead to important electoral reform, which would make our democratic system fairer

The news announced by Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar at an Islamabad press conference on December 10 that the ruling PML-N had decided to resume talks with the PTI is extremely welcome. It comes at a time when there have been incidents of violence in major cities as the PTI protests alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections. There has already been one death and multiple injuries in Faisalabad. The resumption of talks, however, holds out the hope that matters could be settled peacefully through dialogue. Imran Khan has accepted the talks offer and said he would call off the plan to shut down major cities the moment the government agreed to set up a judicial commission to examine the 2013 polls. Mr Dar has stated that such a commission cannot include personnel of intelligence agencies as the PTI had previously demanded but would be constituted swiftly to launch its probe into the charges of manipulation, which has fired the PTI anger.



The development is one which we hope will lead to greater political calm. We also hope it will result in a proper investigation of the affairs concerning the previous general election and the matter of wrongdoing during them. It is important, for the sake of both this election and those yet to come, that this happens.

The PTI’s sustained protest since August this year could lead to important electoral reform, which would make our democratic system fairer and less prone to being tampered with in any fashion. This now should be the focus of all political parties involved. They have demonstrated maturity in opting to sit around the table and resolve this issue. Opposition parties have also played a role in bringing the PTI and the PML-N together. From this point on, we must hope that things will move smoothly towards solution so that our country can return to normal functioning and that the problems with polls can also be sorted out during this process. This would be a highly significant service to all the citizens of the country, who deserve the right to know their votes are not in any way being used to suit the purposes of others.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 12^th,  2014.

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