UNCERTAINTY due to the law and order situation has stopped many donor agencies from starting voters’ education/motivation about the election.

Not a single donor, NGO and government agency has started any activity. In the last elections in Pakistan, the voter turnout remained the lowest in the world.

Only 34 per cent average voter turnout is not sufficient to gauge candidates’ ability. A suggestion was made that the Election Commission should add any other or no choice column in the ballot paper.

If a voter has no choice of a candidate, he/she has the option to mark on ‘any other’ or ‘no choice’ option. This way at least voters will come out and vote.

In my constituency of Jati/Shahbunder tehsil, Thatta district, for 40 years the same faces are fighting against each other (all are turncoats and have turned their backs again and again). I fear that in this election, the same faces would resurface.

One option is that I stay at home which is not viable because I am socially and politically active. I want to see a change but it is not possible.

Election is now the game of money. Electable is the word roaming around and every party is working on electables. But I have no choice and I wish to vote.

According to the last election results, only 34 per cent Pakistanis voted. It means 66 per cent stayed at home, why? Do we have any reply? Is the election commission working on this particular aspect?

This time elections are becoming more dangerous due to terrorism, so the percentage of voters will hardly increase but it may decrease. At this moment the Election Commission should think as to how they can attract voters to come out and give vote.

Give voters some choices like I mentioned earlier so that if voters have no choice, then at least they cast their vote. Another choice for voters is that they can give vote through social media. I don’t know how the Election Commission will be able to do this exercise because of shortage of timing but it’s also a duty of the Election Commission to attract voters to raise voter turnout.

Donors and civil society are silent at this very crucial stage of Pakistan’s very important election. Only political parties are active in horse-trading and selecting electables. Political parties have no interest in voter turnout because low voter turnout will favour them.

The Election Commission is the only forum which can introduce some new ways for voting and attracting voters to come out for voting. D-day is not far away and I hope that the Election Commission would give attention to the mobilisation of voters.

AIJAZ ALI KHUWAJAKarachi