KARACHI, May 18: A resident of Block 2 in Clifton, 76-year-old Parveen Nasir was unable to vote on May 11 because like many others in her constituency comprising NA-250, PS-112 and PS-113 she had to stand in a queue for hours outside her polling station but could not cast her vote. Dejected, she and other constituents felt that all their enthusiasm and wait was in vain since their opportunity to vote, for many it was the first time, was gone. However, luckily for them the Election Commission of Pakistan soon issued a statement declaring that re-polling would be held in 43 polling stations of NA-250, PS-112 and PS-113 on May 19. But will all of them throng the polling stations with renewed passion?
For instance, Faizan Mirza shared his anxiety on Facebook, the social media website: “I don’t want to stand in line for eight hours. Please the government should do something about it too.”
According to Nadir Leghari, the PTI Sindh president, people will definitely come out to vote on Sunday “they will come beyond expectations”.
“Everyone wants to be counted and people will come out and vote. They have realised that Karachi belongs to its people and not to a certain group,” he tells Dawn.
He adds that through the social media people organised sit-ins which was a spontaneous reaction as they felt that they have been robbed of their rightful mandate.
Kunwar Dilshad, a former ECP secretary, endorses Mr Leghari’s confidence in PTI voters: “People who have been demanding re-polling have the passion to come out and will vote on May 19.”
Adding to this brew of events pertaining to re-polling in NA-250 is the Muttahida Quami Movement’s boycott since they had earlier demanded re-election in the entire constituency which was rejected by the ECP. Their leader Raza Haroon at a press conference on Friday had called the move “unfair” and one that could lead to divisions in the country.
Mr Dilshad says the boycott move by the MQM indicates that the party has mentally accepted its defeat. “With this re-polling the entire election result of NA-250 will change. The MQM should have cooperated with the ECP but I think they know that a third force has emerged which is challenging them on their turf,” he says.
It is not just the PTI candidates that are contesting the hot seat of NA-250 (Arif Alvi), PS-112 (Khurram Sher Zaman) and PS-113 (Samar Khan), the Pakistan Peoples Party’s Rashid Rabbani, a veteran politician who is also contesting NA-250, is generating much buzz in the print, electronic and social media.
A JI spokesman said that his party boycotted the re-polling in NA-250 because it wanted re-election in Karachi and Hyderabad.
PPP sees boycotts as counter-productive
When Taj Haider, Sindh PPP secretary general, is asked what he thinks will happen on re-polling day, he says: “It is difficult to say what will happen tomorrow. But I do want to say that boycotts are counter-productive. It is only through polls that you can expose the excesses of institutions. It is important to raise the question that why wasn’t polling held in the 43 polling stations that will go for re-polling on May 19. Responsibility for this has to be fixed. The ECP is duty-bound to investigate the matter and not push it under the carpet. It is especially significant since many people got out to vote when earlier they didn’t.”
Pakistan Army soldiers will “most likely” perform duties inside the 43 polling stations in the May 19 voting for NA-250 and two provincial assembly seats, it also emerged on Saturday.
Sources privy to the security plan proposed by the Election Commission of Pakistan and forwarded to the Pakistan Army suggested that it had sought soldiers’ positioning inside the polling stations under a strong demand of a majority of the contesting parties.
“The troops will most likely perform duties inside the polling stations,” said an official citing the renewed security plan. “The decision was taken considering complaints from the contesting parties. It will help address their concerns and keep the polling process smooth.”
As for Ms Nasir, she plans to cast her vote on May 19, her severe health issues notwithstanding.