ISLAMABAD: As Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) lawmakers in the Senate appeared to be making out a case for the last-minute postponement of the general elections, a PML-N senator on Monday flabbergasted many by saying that mass rejection of nomination papers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) candidates was detrimental to democracy.

“If you weaken the political parties, you weaken the federation,” Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed of PML-N warned while speaking in the Senate.

Stressing that old mistakes must not be repeated, he said elections should not be of the kind held in 2018. He said the 2018 elections were manipulated and engineered by intelligence and security agencies. He also referred to the result transmission system (RTS) fiasco and said “if we have to move forward, the process should not be repeated”.

Mr Syed also said that the practice of enforced disappearances was not acceptable because human rights and democracy were part of Pakistanis’ DNA. He stressed that rule of law must prevail in the country.

He was of the view that if somebody has committed a crime, he should be charged, brought before a court of law and tried there. He said the people against whom evidence is available should be punished and others against whom there is no evidence, should be freed.

Senate unanimously adopts PPP resolution seeking punishment for anti-armed forces propaganda

Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri of JUI-F in his speech termed peace an essential prerequisite for elections and referred to the worsening law and order situation with particular reference to the recent armed attack on Maulana Fazalur Rahman’s convoy in D.I. Khan.

He said that northern parts of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) will remain in the grip of severe cold in January and February. He, however, said his party will take part in the elections if institutions, including the court, remained firm in getting polls held on Feb 8.

Senator Maulana Faiz Muhammad of the same party said if elections were to be held, provision of security was the responsibility of the government.

Another party Senator Attaur Rahman said it was not possible for his party leaders to travel in D.I. Khan and Tank.

“Should we understand that an attempt is being made again to hijack elections?” he asked.

Senator Tahir Bizenjo of National Party said enforced disappearances in Balochistan were a reality and, instead of crafting a counter narrative against voices of concern, a permanent solution should be found out.

Haji Hidayatullah of ANP said as many as 1,200 leaders and workers of his party had become victims of terrorist attacks since 2008 and the same game was played against it in 2018. He said his party leader Aimal Wali Khan was receiving threats ahead of 2024 polls again.

Senator Humayun Mohmand of PTI said that transparent and fair elections were badly needed to ensure stability in the country. He, however, regretted that not only PTI candidates, but their proposers and seconders were also being picked up.

PPP’s pro-armed forces resolution passed

Meanwhile, the Senate on Monday unanimously passed a resolution seeking severe punishment for those making malicious and negative propaganda against the armed forces.

The resolution, moved by PPP Senator Bahramanad Khan Tangi as placed on the agenda, called for a 10-year disqualification from public office for those “found involved in negative and malicious propaganda against the armed forces and other security agencies of Pakistan”.

However, during the session on Monday, Mr Tangi informed the House that he has amended the resolution to remove the demand for a decade-long disqualification and sought action in accordance with the law.

The resolution expressed deep concern over the “negative and malicious propaganda against the armed forces and other security agencies on various social media platforms”.

It highlighted the “huge sacrifices of armed forces and other security agencies in the war against terror and for the defence and protection of the country’s borders” and acknowledged that a “strong army and other security agencies are indispensable for the defence of the country especially in view of the hostile neighbourhood”.

“The Senate of Pakistan, therefore, recommends that the government takes necessary steps to award severe punishment as per law for all those found involved in negative and malicious propaganda against the armed forces and other security agencies of Pakistan,” the resolution said.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2024