THANKFULLY, at least some of the checks and balances safeguarding the electoral process appear to be working as intended.

There have been encouraging updates from all over the country about appellate tribunals reviewing and, in most cases, overturning the rejection of nomination papers by various returning officers.

Though the process is still ongoing, the tribunals have already cleared the path for scores of candidates who had previously been disbarred from participating in elections on various grounds.

The rejection of papers, described in some contexts as ‘wholesale’ and ‘based on flimsy reasoning’ by observers, had disproportionately affected those who have been critical of the state, especially the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

By the time the initial scrutiny was completed, most of the PTI’s strongest candidates had been knocked out. This was followed by complaints that ROs in some constituencies had also withheld copies of their decisions, allegedly to prevent them from being appealed on time.

It now appears that many of those affected may have been right about being wronged. At least one judge hearing the appeals, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, is reported to have made remarks to the effect that the ROs in Islamabad and Rawalpindi had, in the majority of cases, rejected papers over petty issues which could have been resolved within five to 10 minutes in their offices.

The question does arise as to why such hasty decisions were taken in the first place, but the affected candidates may take heart knowing that the appellate tribunals seem to be working independently and without fear or favour.

As a result of the tribunals’ decisions, many from PTI’s top-tier leadership — what remains of it — are now back in the running. They include well-known names like Hammad Azhar, Atif Khan, Firdous Shamim Naqvi and Zulfi Bukhari, as well as other, less-prominent ones.

Though appeals filed by some other big names have been turned down, the party remains committed to participating in the elections, and it seems it will find a way to make do.

The work of the appellate tribunals is commendable as it has restored a sense of fairness after the ugliness that marred the formal start of the electoral process.

From snatching of papers to abductions of candidates, instances of state interference had been widely documented, casting a dark shadow on the legitimacy of the upcoming polls.

With the tribunals acting sensibly, a significant portion of the controversies surrounding the pending election will now die down, allowing parties and candidates to focus on their campaigns and strategise for their wins.

With both local and international analysts repeatedly underscoring that a free and fair election is the only way out of the crises Pakistan is mired in, any effort to ensure that the exercise remains free of controversy should be encouraged and celebrated.

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2024