Pakistan: No need to raise ‘ifs and buts’

In a surprise outburst, Chief Election Commissioner Fakhruddin G Ebrahim on Thursday admitted in the wake of the worsening law and order situation, holding of free and fair elections was not possible, adding that it was the responsibility of the federal and provincial governments and law enforcement agencies to improve the country’s security situation. Since his appointment, the Election Commissioner is known for making controversies. His statement under-consideration is no different. Under the Constitution, every Pakistani knows that the ECP had the mandate of holding the elections and that all executive authorities were bound to assist the Election Commission of Pakistan to fulfill its constitutional duty. Thus there is no point to make such announcement when the elections are supposed to be held just after eight days. Knowingly, the law and order situation in Pakistan right from the word go, the Election Commission was supposed to take foolproof security measures to ensure free, fair and transparent elections. The ECP though claims all arrangements had been finalized for the holding of elections in the country. Yet he had aired his reservations and apprehensions about the security situation. Self-contradictory statements of the ECP are confusing a bit and beyond the comprehension. In the given situation, all he could do is to plug the loopholes if he finds any where rather than telling confusing statements to national media. Having all executive authorities behind him, the doubts associated with the holding of elections are nothing but the negligence of the Election Commission and incompetence of the caretakers in the Centre and in the Provinces-notwithstanding, the security forces’ ineptness to combat with the insurgencies of the religious extremists, nationalists, militants and terrorists during the last five years. The task of holding peaceful elections is a tough and challenging task yet it is not impossible one. The fact is except for the deployment of troops in some districts of Balochistan--nothing exclusive has been tried and tested to counter the militancy sending rude shocks across the country. Inability of the caretakers, having no stakes in politics of Pakistan, to come hard on terrorists and militants, the law and order situation has gone worst from bad. All members of the outgoing coalition partners have been pushed against the wall by the terrorists who had brought their election campaigns to a halt, consequently diminish prospects of outgoing rulers to retain their power-base or the party positions in the power-corridors. At least political pundits are convinced that the ANP, the MQM and the PPP’s campaigns are much below par. The public support is also seemingly slim, leaving all most nothing to guess-work. The law and order situation has become a chronic issue. Pakistan failed to curb the terrorism in the last five years, and it may not succeed to make a major breakthrough in next couple weeks as well, the nation has to pay a price to save the political system prevailing. Untimely confession of the ECP about failure of the Commission and caretakers to put in a reasonable detergent against the brutal terrorists does hint at the intentions of the Commission to open plethora of accusations against the election results. The Constitution provisions are clear and so are directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the ECP and Caretakers must ensure election to take place in a dignified manner and refrain from raising ‘ifs and buts. Now the time is too short to make changes in bulk. The ECP, the caretakers and the armed forces should put the best foot forward. All these stake-holders should sit together to work out contingency action plans to implement them in a well-coordinated manner within given timeframe to see off the Election Day peacefully, giving the nation a chance to choose their representatives at their free will. The situation warrants a leader of the national consensus to lead the country out of the current political mess. The Election Commission of Pakistan must concentrate on the job it accepted a long ago now there is no point to escape from the national duty, making one accuse or the other. The task is difficult but not impossible particularly when the entire state machinery and the military might are out there to ward off the terrorists for one day-no matter how deadly they are.