Rigging — a smoking gun

NA-125 seat in Lahore is much-coveted, and election tribunal's decision to hold by-elections will dent the PML-N's ego

There will be much jubilation in the camp of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) at the news that an election tribunal on May 4 ordered by-elections in the Lahore National Assembly NA-125 constituency and Punjab Provincial Assembly constituency PP-155. The reason for the decision was that the tribunal had found extensive evidence of rigging. Bags had been cut with a sharp object, and some voters had voted for the same candidate as many as six times. The Pakistan Muslim League — Nawaz (PML-N) had been declared winners on the day and its candidate Khawaja Saad Rafiq was the winner in the constituency. It is now evident that the result was falsified, and moreover that it would have taken a number of people to rig the result and it is also possible that all these activities would have been done with the knowledge of the candidate. A by-election will now be held.

The NA-125 seat in Lahore is much-coveted, and this decision will dent the ego of the PML-N; but in reality not by much and possibly not for very long. It is rare indeed for electoral wrongdoing to be exposed so clearly, and even rarer for an organisation such as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to move as decisively as it has in this case, and we welcome both developments. Jubilant as the PTI may be, it is still far from proving that the rigging carried out in the 2013 elections was systematic and nationwide as part of a predetermined plan although this decision by the election tribunal does show that the formation of the judicial commission was indeed needed.

For now there is just cause for celebration by the PTI, and celebration is in order, too, at the application of due process by the ECP, often accused of being a toothless non-entity. It would be wise of the PML-N to accept the finding with all graciousness, thank the ECP for a job well done, and give an undertaking that henceforward anybody found cheating will be persona non grata within the party. Whether it will take this course or duck and dive in traditional fashion, denying uncomfortable realities at every turn of the road is yet to be seen. Equally to be seen is how the PML-N will deal with Mr Rafique. We watch with interest.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2015.

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