Pakistan’s 12th general election is scheduled to be held on February 8. As such, less than a month is left for voting. Recently the parliament of the country passed a proposal to postpone the elections. There is no obligation to accept the proposal passed. The political situation is becoming more muddled with the treatment of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
In such a context, the political situation of the country has raised concerns about the fair election environment among political analysts and various political parties. Many people think that after the beginning of democratic practice in Pakistan, this election is going to be the most rigged in the memory.
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan was imprisoned before the vote. Election officials are busy preventing the candidates of Imran’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from contesting the elections. On the other hand, another former prime minister of the country, Nawaz Sharif, returned to the country after voluntarily exile. The cases against him have been dropped.
Critics point to the state authorities’ tough stance against the PTI and its leader Imran Khan as evidence of early rigging in the upcoming elections, saying former prime minister Imran and his party may not contest.
Many leaders have already left PTI. Many of them have given cover to avoid arrest. Again, some of the leaders who left PTI joined rival political parties. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has canceled the nomination papers of Imran and many of his party-backers.
PTI’s Punjab State Information Secretary Shayan Bashir told Al Jazeera, “The brutality of the PTI and its leaders has never happened in the history of Pakistan.” Bashir also said that the looting of nomination papers, forcing PTI candidates to leave the party under pressure shows what the party has to go through.
Some analysts think that the country’s military is leaning towards Nawaz Sharif. who returned to the country in November last year. The country’s court quickly removed the legal obstacles against Nawaz’s candidacy. Academician Faiz said the current atmosphere ahead of the elections was ‘farcical’. The team has changed, the leader has changed, but the method and the madness remain the same.
Lahore-based political analyst Tahir Mehdi told Al Jazeera, “I would prefer to use the term “rigged election” rather than rigged.”
