THE latest big rally in Imran Khan’s ongoing multi-city tour produced two surprises, one rather unpleasant, the other a genuine opportunity to help bring the anti-government protests to an end. First, the unpleasant part.
The suggestion by the PTI chief that a Supreme Court-led commission to inquire into the conduct of elections in May 2013 should include representatives of the ISI and MI is nothing short of staggering and bizarre.
Quite simply, it is these very organisations, and especially the ISI, that has historically queered the electoral pitch against democrats and civilian politicians. In fact, the last major electoral-related case that was adjudicated on by the Supreme Court — the Mehrangate scandal and the rigging of the 1990 election in favour of the IJI coalition led by Nawaz Sharif — led to the very highest levels of the army leadership, including a former army chief and DG ISI, being held responsible for essentially the buying of an election.
Read| ISI and MI should sit on commission to investigate vote rigging: Imran
Even leaving that history aside, what legal role does the ISI or the MI have when it comes to electoral matters? What is their official expertise in a matter that must be decided along laid-down legal criteria? All that Mr Khan appears to have done with his peculiar suggestion is reinforce the impression that the PTI wants the army to have a role in politics and elections.
Yet, unwise as Mr Khan’s first suggestion is, his other new idea is a good opportunity for the government.
By dropping the demand that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif step down or step aside temporarily while the commission conducts its inquiry, Mr Khan has removed the only genuine impediment to a comprehensive deal on electoral reforms and inquiry into specific results of the May 2013 general election.
Mr Khan’s new formulation that the prime minister should resign and fresh elections be held if a time-bound inquiry proves electoral fraud is a reasonable one.
Now, the government and the other parties in parliament ought to act swiftly to meet the PTI halfway and do the right thing on electoral reforms.
One sticking point could be what constitutes electoral fraud enough to trigger a new election. Mr Khan’s party has tried to keep that bar very low in the past, essentially arguing that any fraud at all would nullify the election. Similarly, malpractice would need to be proved in several constituencies.
Those are not insignificant points, but not insurmountable ones either. The government needs to act now.
Published in Dawn, November 11th , 2014
