The Road To The Ballot Box

Ishtiaq Ahmed

Islamabad (Part 2): Pakistan is inching towards national and provincial elections set for 8th February 2024. The country is inevitably gripped by the election fever.

The party political campaigns are blazingly hot. Billions are being spent on election campaigns, apparently without check and balances, to hoodwink voters to vote.

The leaders of the poverty stricken nation are sparing no costs to achieve success at the ballot box and not embarrassed to show off and showcase their wealth and their purchasing power whilst pledging to tackle poverty, souring inflation, unemployment, and life destroying costs of living.

Instead, they are quite content to view and smirk about the misery of the nations through their motorcades, bullet proof vehicles, protected and surrounded by their ‘ chamchas’ and minders .

When they travel, roads are blocked inevitably delaying people from reaching work, businesses, hospitals and schools . These considerations are abandoned and pushed aside.

Yet! These same leaders unashamedly talk about access to education, health, employment , and tackling poverty. Unfortunately, elections in Pakistan have never been about people and it is no different this time around.

But even with these reservations , we must not not abandon the route to the ballot box. It is the only route that we must unequivocally tread to achieve our democratic right although that maybe in small steps with the threat of takeovers and dictatorships always lurking around .

Let us look at , for example , how the election campaign is mirroring the national scene in NA -52 and PP-8 in Tehsil Gujar Khan. There it appears to be a straight fight between Raja Parvez Ashraf of PPP and Raja Jawaid Ikhlas of PML – N , both seasoned heavy weights.

The contest between these two old adversaries is going to be tough. However, the challenge from Tariq Aziz Bhati of PTI and Ch Mohammed Riaz of TLP should not be dismissed lightly.

The NA candidates will be flanked by new aspirants and well established political candidates in the neighbouring provincial constituencies of PP-8 and PP-9 , for example, the principal combatants in PP-8 include Raja Khurram Parvez of PPP( the son of Raja Ashraf Parvez) , Iftikhar Warsi of PML – N a seasoned politician, Javed Kausar of PTI with a strong political pedigree and Raja Ismail Kiani of TLP.

We expect a definite crossover of the political campaigns with the neighbouring PP-9 with experienced political campaigners such as Shaukat Aziz Bhatti of PML-N, Faisal Aziz Bhatti of PTI , Raja Babar Karamat of TLP and Chaudhry Sarfraz Khan of PPP.

The public opinion seems to favour Raja Parvez Ashraf, the former prime minister and the National Assembly speaker, a hardened PPP stalwart with a reputation of delivering for his constituency. He is credited with taking over the finishing lines the two dual-car­riageways, linking So­hawa and and Mandra towns from GT road to the Motorway via Chak­wal, facilitating sui-gas to dozen of villages and an expansive network of link roads and street pavements across his Gujar Khan constituency. He is also credited with the approval of a sub campus of Punjab University for Gujar Khan with fund­ing of Rs. 4 billion.

Being the only politician from the area to become the prime minister and the speaker of the National Assembly, although in somewhat unsavoury political circumstances, adds to his personal qudus and authority, making him a formidable candidate.

However, Raja Jawaid Ikhlas should not also be underestimated in this apparent two horse race. Himself a former ­federal parliamen­tary secretary and many times MPA and district nazim Rawalpindi, is an experienced campaigner and well embedded in the District and Tehsil level setups. He certainly represents a major challenge to Raja Parvez Ashraf. Being of the same clan, he should not be assumed a lightweight even though he has been somewhat off the national political scene and with PML-N in conundrum , he will have to make a real effort to get passed Raja Parvez Ashraf.

The political discord within PML-N and PPP is already apparent with powerful political figures and alliances not being happy about the distribution of tickets for the provincial assembly. The allocation of the provincial assembly ticket to Raja Shaukat Aziz Bhatti has incensed Ch Mohammed Riaz , a former MPA , so much so for him to break his 40 years ties with PML-N to move over to TLP.

The former provincial minister and PML-N stalwart departed from PML-N to join Tehreek-e-Lab­baik Pakistan (TLP) for being disappointed with PML-N leadership for overlooking him and his son Chaudhry Khawar Zaman. The readers may recall Chaudhry Muhammad Riaz had enjoyed a long po­litical career as MPA & and provincial minister with Mian Nawaz Sharif after contesting his first elections in 1984.

However, the PML- N leadership is sticking with Raja Shaukat Aziz Bhati hoping that he will provide a positive political leverage to Raja Jawaid Ikhlas in his contest against Raja Parvez Ashraf.

There is also some murmuring of dissatisfaction amidst PPP ranks too for the allocation of the provincial assembly ticket to Raja Khurram Ashraf ( the son of Raja Parvez Ashraf). The resentment comes from the belief that the former prime minister and the PPP NA candidate has used his influence to push ahead his son at the expense of others , perhaps more suitable aspirants.

Khurram Parvez Ashraf , the son of Raja Parvez Ashraf, is unknown political entity with no real personal political pedigree. He is hoping to piggyback his father into the provincial assembly.

We are only too aware of the incestuous family favouritism and control at the top of the two main political dynasties of PML-N and PPP. But we are also seeing a more sinister political moves by the established political families at the constituency level to keep a foot in different political camps to fortify their political future, for example, Tariq Aziz Bhati, the elder brother of Shaukat Aziz Bhati ( PML-N), is the PTI candidate for NA-52. Two brothers, two political parties in the same living room and in the same courtyard. The game of thrones does becomes more intriguing as we delve deeper.

Tribal, ‘bradhary’ and family loyalties are very much in evidence in the struggle for power in the present national and provincial elections as they have been in all the past elections. Nothing new this time around too as both main political parties are mainly sticking with their tried and tested stalwarts in denial of meritocracy by presenting more of the same.

What all this suggests is that personal and family interests have taken hold to the demise of democracy and the value based politic in Pakistan. The world keeps moving forward, but the Pakistan’s democracy keeps moving backward. But we must not abandon hope by using our vote intelligently.

The author is a British citizen of Pakistani origin with a keen interest in Pakistani and international affairs.

The article is the writer’s opinion, it may or may not adhere to the organization’s editorial policy.