WE should encourage the peaceful struggle of the people who have been sitting for more than 10 days in Islamabad to protest against the present political system.

The protest shows that people in the country genuinely want a change and improvement in the system and are willing to stage sit-ins and rallies to achieve their objective.

In my opinion the protest is justified as only political parties that do not resort to massive rigging of elections work for the progress and prosperity of the common people.

There is also no harm in holding fresh elections if it is proved beyond doubt that rigging did take place as this would mean that that citizens’ power to select their rulers has been taken away from them. This is something that no democracy loving people will tolerate for long.

If it is proved that rigging has taken place on a massive scale and the ruling party captured power unfairly, then they should be made to answer for their sins of commission and omission.

Najaf Sial
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2014