Five years ago, the excitement and jubilation were palpable. Political parties in general were happy with the caretaker setups in place, and while the competition for the election was real and tough (and even ugly), there were few allegations of unfair practices and undue interference.
But the past seems to be another country.
Pakistan is on the cusp of a second democratic transition. Yet, the overall sense is not a fraction as celebratory as 2013.
Cynicism and anger are the dominating emotions, rather than the hope of 2013.
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