Termed bloodiest in the history of Pakistan, the recent local council elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa exposed the Tehrik-e-Insaf’s bad governance, atrocious political interference, political victimization and dishonest tactics.
According to the Free and Fare Elections Network (FAFEN) the ruling party obtained less than 35 percent of the votes it had bagged in the 2013 general elections.
“The PTI cannot claim to be the winner since the opposition parties combined obtained more seats,” says Dr Sarwar Bari, a senior representative of FAFEN. “And don’t forget a large number of independent candidates also won.”
On May 30th, he visited a dozen polling stations and found massive irregularities and mismanagement. He also criticized an initial statement of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in which it expressed “satisfaction” for holding “successful” elections.
He blamed both the ECP and the PTI for the violence-hit elections that caused loss of more than 20 lives. While the ECP was responsible for holding a free and fair elections, it was the responsibility of the provincial government to provide a peaceful atmosphere for people to exercise their right to vote.
With countless incidents of violence and procedural wrongdoings reported as soon as the polling began, the PTI and the ECP accused each other of not fulfilling their responsibilities.
Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said the elections should have been held in phases. The ECP said political parties, including the ruling PTI, had demanded the elections be held on the same day. An ECP spokesman said the commission wanted to hold the local bodies elections in three phases.
The biggest jolt the ruling PTI suffered was from none other but its coalition partner, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI). The party’s emir in Peshawar district, Sabir Awan, called the PTI “a champion of electoral rigging” – the very same allegation the PTI had leveled against the PML-N after the 2013 general elections.
JI’s provincial emir Professor Ibrahim said rigging in the May 30 local elections had broken all previous records. “We cannot stay silent if our coalition partner is involved in wrongdoings,” he stated.
Embarrased by the allegations, PTI chairman Imran Khan offered a re-election. He forgot it was the ECP and not him who could make that offer. The ECP has already announced re-polling in at least 26 polling stations of Peshawar because of complaints and evidence of rigging, irregularities and violence.
Mr Khan’s offer was too late and too little. One of PTI’s provincial ministers, Ali Amin Gandapur, was seen snatching ballot boxes at gunpoint in DI Khan. The angry crowd outside the polling station surrounded him and a woman got seriously injured when his guards resorted to firing in the air. Police rescued him from the protestors after three hours.
Imran Khan had to persuade his minister to allow the police to arrest him. On the other hand, police arrested Awami National Party veteran Mian Iftikhar on charges of murder after a man died in political violence. The deceased’s father said he was pressured to include Mian Iftikhar’s name in the FIR.
Mr Khan and his party paralyzed the government for months in 2014, saying all political parties in the country had complained of rigging. Now, every political party in Khyber Pakkhtunkhwa is crying foul. The pit the PTI dug for its rivals last year appears right in front of it.
Sources in the PTI said the non-Pashtun party leaders held Chief Minister Pervez Khattak responsible for whatever happened during the local bodies elections. They believed the core reason of the PTI not repeating its 2013 performance was slow pace of development work in the province.
Opposition leader in the National Assembly, Khurshid Shah, called for re-election in the entire province. The People’s Party rejected the results and demanded fresh elections in three-phases.
Meanwhile, the PTI took credit of holding the local bodies elections before Punjab and Sindh, yet it was telling the nation a half-truth. The KP government might have delayed the entire exercise had it not been bound by a judgment of the Supreme Court.
The party has already been bruised after intra-party elections. Accusations of favouritism and bribery were made while tickets were being awarded to candidates in 2013. The perception that a few Punjabi leaders are running the affairs of KP government is not helping the party at all.
Shahzad Raza is an Islamabad-based journalist.
Twitter: @shahzadrez
According to the Free and Fare Elections Network (FAFEN) the ruling party obtained less than 35 percent of the votes it had bagged in the 2013 general elections.
“The PTI cannot claim to be the winner since the opposition parties combined obtained more seats,” says Dr Sarwar Bari, a senior representative of FAFEN. “And don’t forget a large number of independent candidates also won.”
On May 30th, he visited a dozen polling stations and found massive irregularities and mismanagement. He also criticized an initial statement of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in which it expressed “satisfaction” for holding “successful” elections.
A ministers was seen snatching ballot boxes at gunpoint
He blamed both the ECP and the PTI for the violence-hit elections that caused loss of more than 20 lives. While the ECP was responsible for holding a free and fair elections, it was the responsibility of the provincial government to provide a peaceful atmosphere for people to exercise their right to vote.
With countless incidents of violence and procedural wrongdoings reported as soon as the polling began, the PTI and the ECP accused each other of not fulfilling their responsibilities.
Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said the elections should have been held in phases. The ECP said political parties, including the ruling PTI, had demanded the elections be held on the same day. An ECP spokesman said the commission wanted to hold the local bodies elections in three phases.
The biggest jolt the ruling PTI suffered was from none other but its coalition partner, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI). The party’s emir in Peshawar district, Sabir Awan, called the PTI “a champion of electoral rigging” – the very same allegation the PTI had leveled against the PML-N after the 2013 general elections.
JI’s provincial emir Professor Ibrahim said rigging in the May 30 local elections had broken all previous records. “We cannot stay silent if our coalition partner is involved in wrongdoings,” he stated.
Embarrased by the allegations, PTI chairman Imran Khan offered a re-election. He forgot it was the ECP and not him who could make that offer. The ECP has already announced re-polling in at least 26 polling stations of Peshawar because of complaints and evidence of rigging, irregularities and violence.
Mr Khan’s offer was too late and too little. One of PTI’s provincial ministers, Ali Amin Gandapur, was seen snatching ballot boxes at gunpoint in DI Khan. The angry crowd outside the polling station surrounded him and a woman got seriously injured when his guards resorted to firing in the air. Police rescued him from the protestors after three hours.
Imran Khan had to persuade his minister to allow the police to arrest him. On the other hand, police arrested Awami National Party veteran Mian Iftikhar on charges of murder after a man died in political violence. The deceased’s father said he was pressured to include Mian Iftikhar’s name in the FIR.
Mr Khan and his party paralyzed the government for months in 2014, saying all political parties in the country had complained of rigging. Now, every political party in Khyber Pakkhtunkhwa is crying foul. The pit the PTI dug for its rivals last year appears right in front of it.
Sources in the PTI said the non-Pashtun party leaders held Chief Minister Pervez Khattak responsible for whatever happened during the local bodies elections. They believed the core reason of the PTI not repeating its 2013 performance was slow pace of development work in the province.
Opposition leader in the National Assembly, Khurshid Shah, called for re-election in the entire province. The People’s Party rejected the results and demanded fresh elections in three-phases.
Meanwhile, the PTI took credit of holding the local bodies elections before Punjab and Sindh, yet it was telling the nation a half-truth. The KP government might have delayed the entire exercise had it not been bound by a judgment of the Supreme Court.
The party has already been bruised after intra-party elections. Accusations of favouritism and bribery were made while tickets were being awarded to candidates in 2013. The perception that a few Punjabi leaders are running the affairs of KP government is not helping the party at all.
Shahzad Raza is an Islamabad-based journalist.
Twitter: @shahzadrez