AS a citizen and voter I welcome the relatively low-key election campaign. Previously, election campaigns were a source of annoyance and inconvenience to the people because of unending processions moving at a snail’s pace and creating among other things noise pollution.

The language used by politicians today is as much harsh, defamatory, derogatory and might I say third rate as it was in the past. Some of the words used by some politicians are beneath the dignity of a decent human being. The intellectual level of campaign is minus zero. It is abuses which are hurled, and the manifestos would make us believe Pakistan would be a welfare state within the next five years when the party in question is in power. However, we have suffered such manifestos in the past and are doing so now. We know the documents are a propaganda stunt and neither their authors nor the people take them seriously.

We also know that the problems we are facing us today will be there during the next five years. American diplomat and the point man for the AfPak region Richard Holbrooke, who was quite sympathetic to Pakistan, once said he knew of no other country which had so many problems.

The problems we have today include an economy that is in the doldrums, widespread poverty, a huge external and domestic debt, shrinking foreign exchange reserves, a fast-depriciating rupee, water theft by India, a low literacy rate, violence on campuses, the political parties’ shameful attempt to politicise educational institutions, lethal acts of terrorism, especially in Balolchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, degrading environment, ubiquitous plastic shoppers, widespread corruption and urban chaos.

In addition, we have military-civilian distrust, continued Indian occupation of Kashmir and brutality, the Afghan imbroglio and its impact on Pakistan, and, thanks to our stupidity, the loss of America as a friend,

Do politicians think we are fools and believe that they will solve or at least make a dent in these problems until the next elections? The only reason I am thankful to them is that the campaign this time is less painful for the people. In spite of the July 13 drama in Lahore, things seem to be going smoothly and elections are likely to be held peacefully.

For this act of mercy alone I thank the politicians, the Election Commission of Pakistan and the caretaker governments. The other two institutions get my thanks only reluctantly.

Raheel Zaheer
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2018