The battle for the throne of Lahore

The fear is that the losing side in the NA-122 by-election will not take the results lying down

The NA-122 electoral contest appears to be extraordinary in many respects. Firstly, the two major national parties, the PTI and the PML-N, have put too much of their political capital at stake in this constituency. It is shaping up, once again, as a battle for the political future of Lahore. This point was not lost on the fiery speakers of the two rival gatherings on Sunday evening. The rhetorical question the speakers at the PTI rally posed to their supporters was: “Are you willing to take the throne of Lahore back?” In their consistently levelled allegations, the throne had been theirs but was “stolen” through the “partisanship” of officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). They evoked the political mythology of their struggle for justice, fair elections and accountability, as well as against rampant corruption. The speakers at the PML-N gathering that was held at the same time stressed their nativity and services, highlighting the major projects the PML-N has initiated in Lahore. They vowed not to allow Imran Khan to “grab” Lahore that “rightly” belongs to them. Interestingly, all other parties are missing from the political scene, watching this contest from the sidelines, leaving their supporters to take decisions on their own, except the Jamaat-e-Islami that has decided to support the PTI.



Secondly, with so much of political prestige at stake, the fear is that the losing side will not take the results lying down. It will harp on the conventional mantra of rigging, and will thus be able to make the contest a controversial one. The PTI leaders are already saying that a large number of Punjab government functionaries have been drafted into the service of the PML-N to use their influence in mobilising support for the party of the Sharif brothers. They have instructed their workers to be on guard and do everything to prevent the “planned rigging”. The PML-N leaders have responded by saying that Imran Khan is intimidating the ECP and everyone connected with the elections. In fact, by levelling such allegations against each other, the two parties are destroying the credibility of the electoral institution, so central to the development and sustenance of democracy in the country.

Thirdly, with the date of the local government (LG) elections fast approaching, and the two parties having plunged into political confrontation, the outcome of the by-election on this single constituency will leave a deep shadow on the future trends of influential families and political figures, determining their political allegiances. The political elite of Pakistan have dynamic political commitments that shift with the rising or declining fortunes of political parties. The PTI has successfully portrayed itself — and this is also generally accepted — as gaining strength and popularity. It is keen to capture Punjab and considers Lahore as its political gateway to triumphing in the next general elections. The importance of the LG elections is lost on no party. This will force the ruling PML-N in Punjab to share power and face resistance from the district nazims if they come from opposition parties. In my view, local political conditions and how the alliances and coalitions among the politically influential families shape at the district level will be far more important than the result of the NA-122 by-election.

By following the statements, speeches and what passes for a political debate in the media on national issues between the representatives of the PTI and the PML-N, one is shocked to observe a growing shift from real issues to mere mud-slinging, personal attacks, false accusations and often rhetorical positions. The new generation of ‘leaders’ is playing dirty politics, as usual, to make its way into power or to retain power.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2015.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.