News Analysis |
Anti Election APC An exercise An All Parties Conference chaired by PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif and JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman, on Friday dismissed election results, with the latter demanding the elections be held again. “This is not people’s mandate, this is a mandate which has been stolen,” Fazlur Rehman said while addressing the media outside F-8 sector of Islamabad.
It was also announced that all parties, except for the PML-N, have refused to take an oath and that the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) will lead a movement against ‘rigging’ during the elections. The PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif has said that the blatant rigging in this election has taken the democratic process back 50 years.
However, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has asserted time and time again that 2018 were the fairest elections in the country’s history.
However, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has asserted time and time again that 2018 were the fairest elections in the country’s history. The country has been hurled in a political chaos with the Election results because of accusations of outright rigging, the withholding of form 45 and the forced removal of polling agents from polling stations by stationed army officials. Many have dubbed this election as the worst in the Nation’s history.
Yesterday, as future Prime Minister Imran Khan made his victory speech, towards the end he said that he is ready to assist the opposition in any allegations of rigging. The European Union Election Observation Mission on Friday declared the recently held general elections transparent and well conducted.
Read more: Elections 2018: Who is winning & how much?
“On the election day, polling was assessed as well-conducted and transparent,” said EU Chief Observer Michael Gahler while releasing the preliminary statement on the election. Gahler said the election results that gave Imran Khan a win were credible.”Overall the election results are credible,” he said. In its initial findings, the mission also observed that Pakistani military had not interfered in the voting process.
“In the last two years, ECP’s leadership has undertaken initiatives to improve its capacity, transparency, and accountability,”
Praising the ECP for the way the election was conducted, the EU EOM observed that the commission is an independent constitutional body with powers and responsibility to conduct elections. “In the last two years, ECP’s leadership has undertaken initiatives to improve its capacity, transparency, and accountability,” the Mission said, observing that the level of confidence in the institution has increased due to regular consultations with political parties and civil society organizations.
Not all parties were represented at the APC as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) stayed away from the confab in Islamabad, though Dr. Farooq Sattar showed up in his personal capacity.
Read more: Elections 2018: A massive political exercise
In the meeting, Fazal-ur-Rahman advised that the parties involved in the APC should not take an oath. It is obvious according to observers that Fazlur Rahman himself has not been elected as the member assembly, so he wants no one to take an oath and the assembly should be removed as soon as possible.
Analysts point to the fact that at the time of the announcement, Protocol dictated that it was the right to Shahbaz Sharif to read his declaration in front of the press. Shahbaz Sharif delegated it to Fazlurrehman while he asked for some time.
A PML(N) boycott may as well unleash a growing rebellion in the party itself as the winners of the hard-fought contest will hardly consider losing their seats.
Now two events have shown that the PML(N) is not interested in the boycott. The first was Shahbaz’s son Hamza’s declaration that the PML(N) will make a government in Punjab while sitting in opposition in the center. The other was the statement of the forerunner for opposition chief, PML(N)’s Former foreign minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif that expressed reservation on the decision taken during the APC.
Read more: Why is Qadri boycotting 2018 elections – Ideology or ground reality?
A PML(N) boycott may as well unleash a growing rebellion in the party itself as the winners of the hard-fought contest will hardly consider losing their seats. Already rumors of a forward block are emerging throughout the country due to the stratagems of Jehangir Tareen and PML(Q)’s Chaudry Pervez Ellahi. A mass PML(N) defection may occur due to the impending arrests of PML(N) higher leadership over corruption charges like the Saf Pani scandal as well as the murder cases such as Abid Boxer and the Model Town Massacre. in futility