Pakistan Votes… and delivers a blow to Musharraf
Fe’reeha is currently in Pakistan and sent us this report from there.
It’s election time in Pakistan, a time of anxiety and utmost excitement here! After days of waiting, anticipation and much ado, the day finally came and it’s almost over. But the after-effects are just about to kick in.
I spent the whole days on roads, visiting different polling booths. The turn-out was slow but at some booths I saw crowds. In particular, seeing women voters in large numbers was reassuring. I also met British residents like myself, keen on voting. There were also Pakistani American and Pakistani Australian voters.
It was refreshing to see and talk to them but it was not surprising. Pakistan politics over the past few years have become international news with the world’s eyes focused on the region. These European and American residents of Pakistani origin were keen on making a difference.
Before the election, the media made it their duty raise awareness in people to get up and vote. “People in the world have achieved democracy, it’s your turn now to get up and vote”. A promo on Dawn TV made its attempt at invoking people. However even until two weeks ago, there was a lethargy and cynicism in various circles about the elections with many sure it would be postponed.
Pemra, the media watch dog also made media efforts difficult since a last minute notification was issued for a total media black out, banning any political analysis or announcement of results. However, the orders were modified late after the media’s collective resistance.
The security threat was another reason why people were apprehensive to come out and vote. Law enforcement agencies repeatedly warned people about the insurgence of suicide bombers in cities who were hungry for blood. But later on in the day things started warming up as more people started gathering at the polls.
The results are starting to pour in. There are loads of interesting things to keep an eye on. For instance, Shiekh Rashid, the former Railway Minister. He was once a top man in former Prime Minister Nawaz Shareef’s government and now his foremost critic and staunch supporter of President Musharraf. .
The contest of Chaudary brothers in Punjab is also something to be closely watched. Karachi has always been a strong hold of MQM, a party based on ethnic vote but after Imran Khan’s recent outbursts against the aprty chief Altaf Hussain (a British resident) and filing a case against him at Scotland Yard, it would be interesting to see how things shape up.
As far as the sympathy vote for Bhuto’s PPP is concerned, it is likely to remain in Sindh dominated areas, but I’m not sure how it would determine the result in more educated areas, given that disunity within the party has made it look like a shambles recently.
Update
The New York Times is reporting that much of the vote went against Musharraf and its likely his opponents will win overwhelmingly.
Almost all the leading figures in the Pakistan Muslim League-Q, the party that has governed for the last five years under Mr. Musharraf, lost their seats, including the leader of the party, the former speaker of Parliament and six ministers.
Official results are expected Tuesday, but early returns indicated that the vote would usher in a prime minister from one of the opposition parties, and opened the prospect of a Parliament that would move to undo many of Mr. Musharraf’s policies and that may even try to remove him
Two dictators resign at the same time? Uhm…
Ooops… make it just one. my bad.
A military dictator voted out of power and this. All encouraging signs.
good to have an insight into what’s going - thanks fe’reeha, it must be very exciting on the ground
[...] Picked Politics has an account of a British resident. I spent the whole days on roads, visiting different polling booths. The turn-out was slow but at some booths I saw crowds. In particular, seeing women voters in large numbers was reassuring. I also met British residents like myself, keen on voting. There were also Pakistani American and Pakistani Australian voters. [...]
Upate:
Chaudary brothers did pretty badly as we know now. Chaudary Pervaiz Elahi lost on two seats and Chaudary Shujaat lost the election all together. It’s interesting seeing all the Pres;dent’s men did pretty badly.
Those who have lost their seats include Shujat Hussain, the PML-Q chairman; Amir Hussain, National Assembly Speaker; Shaikh Rashid Ahmad, former federal minister for railway; Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, former foreign minister; Ejazul Haq, former federal minister of religious affairs; Hamayoon Akhtar, former federal minister of commerce; Dr Sher Afghan, former minister of parliamentary affairs; and Rao Sikandar Iqbal, former minister of defence and senior minister. Prominent winners include PML-N stalwarts Khawaja Asif, Ahsin Iqbal, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Chaudhry Nisar Hussain, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, and the PPP’s Raja Pervez Ashraf, Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani, and Ahmad Mukhtar.
On MQM, they did brilliant so no effect of the case by Imran Khan, atleast apparently.
However, in parts of Karachi omplaints of rigging were heard from all sides.
British residents voting in Pakistan? Can I have a vote too, please. I’ve been a British resident since 1947 - well, plus 9 months.
Few of the most important things to note about the Feb Polls is the fact that these polls were A VERDICT AGAINST THE SOCIO_ECONOMIC staus quo in Pakistan that has been in place in Pakistan since 1999——-President Musharraff’s 1999 coup was all about puting a repressive lid on the URGE FOR RADICAL CHANGE brewing among the masses of the country by the end of the last century.Little wonder then that the president never held any free elections throughout his tenure—–The farce of the local bodies election s and the highly rigged and manipulated elections of 2002 not withstanding. Ironically enough The COMEBACK of Nawaz Sharif and Mr. Zardarin in the manipulated elections—- certainly so in the NWFP and Balouchistan where we had pamphlets lying in front of our doors tellin the women not to go for votes or there would be suicide attacks, the turnout in our MILITARY OPERATION areas was just at 5 %— of 2008 shall also remain JUST A STATUS QUO UNLESS THE JUDICIARY IS RESTORED, ALL THE GAGS ON THE MEDIA ARE RAISED, RADICAL CAHNGES IN THE COUNTRY’S ECONOMIC ESTABLISHMENT AND MANAGEMENT ARE INITIATED,THE COUNTRY’S ARMY,INTELLIGENCE AND DEFENCE ESTABLISHMENT COMPLETELY OVERHAULED AND RESTRUCTURED ON MORE POPULAR AND PROGRESSIVE LINES, NEW STATE STRUCTURES ARE FORMED TO PROTECT THE FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OF INDIVDAUALS AT THE GRASS ROOTS LEVEL A ND THE COUNTRY’S eSTABLISHMENT PURGED OF ALL THE ELEMENTS THAT HAVE EVER BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY CORRUPTION. ONE reason why BENAZIR was killed was because she had a vission of this kind for the country this time around and was most probably going for theses radical measures after staying IN HER EDUCATIG TRAVELS ABROAD. WHETHER HER SUCCESSORS CONTINUE HER PROGRAMME IS ANYBODY’s guess—A lot depends on WHAT THE AMERICANS WANT!!!! UNLESS THAT kind of change is initaiated forget about any meaningful change and peace in the counrtry whose economy is in the shambles and the public moral at abysmal lows.
yes i guess people are expecting those things will ‘automatically’ come - but obviously, these things dont happen ‘automatically’ and take a lot of work
Interesting point to note is that if the various factions of the PML do unite again (anything is possible in Pakistani politics) and maintain their votes they will walk the next election. This assumes that where PML-Q won it was predominantly by fair means.
Sid the defeat of the MMA is not surprising as there were two particular factors that helped them last time round and were absent this time around. Firstly the 2002 polls were heavily biased against the PPP and secondly the ANP were in a mess hence their worst ever election and the MMA doing better than they ever dreamed of.
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