Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is empowered to take appropriate mitigating measures against pre-poll rigging that deal with procedural matters and not with any engineered, or natural, changes in party loyalties.
After last year's general elections, amid allegations of pre-poll rigging Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman PPP, in his maiden speech in parliament referred to the newly elected Prime Minister Imran Khan as the selected prime minister - a stance supported by all other opposition leaders in their speeches in parliament, including the Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif.
Senior opposition leaders are unanimous in their claim that pre-poll rigging, coupled with the natural tendency of independents to liaise with the ruling party, accounts for the PTI being able to form a minority governments at the centre and in Punjab despite having a very thin majority in the National Assembly and winning less seats than PML-N in Punjab Assembly.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal's (JUI-F's) ongoing sit-in in the federal capital is against what it terms is the unprecedented rigging ahead of general elections 2018 that helped the PTI gain power. The JUI-F's top leadership including its chief Maulana Fazal Ur Rehman and General Secretary Abdul Ghafoor Haideri have publicly criticized the 'state institutions,' for a hand in PTI's victory in last year's general elections.
Speaking to Business Recorder, a PTI lawmaker on condition of anonymity dismissed the allegation that a politician leaving a political party and joining another can be categorized as pre-poll rigging. "Regardless of this verbal criticism on politicians who change their loyalties ahead of elections to become part of any political party that is regarded as the favourite to form a government, there is no bar on leaving and joining any political party. How can you stop anyone from joining any political party before or after any election? Before 2013 general elections, a number of heavy weights joined PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz) sensing that it was the clear favourite to win the elections. Likewise, before 2008 general elections, several powerful politicians opted to join PPP (Pakistan People's Party)."
He further argued, "Everyone wants to bet on a winning horse. Unless this practice is barred in the constitution of Pakistan, politicians will continue to change political parties."
Ghafoor Haideri, the JUI-F's General Secretary, talking to Business Recorder, said the JUI-F's ongoing Azadi March and sit-in seeks to bring an end to pre-poll rigging. "Pakistan's constitution may not put any restriction on anyone leaving or joining any political party but the constitution gives every citizen the right to self determination. Forcing any politician to change loyalty and support any particular political party is the same as depriving politicians of their political freedom. It is like stealing the public mandate at gunpoint and disrespecting the sanctity of the vote. No state institution has the right to do so. We want to end this culture of fear, intimidation and conspiracies. Our struggle is all about empowering democracy in letter and spirit."
Haideri added that it is the constitutional responsibility of the ECP to hold elections in accordance with Article 218 of the Constitution of Pakistan and take all the necessary steps to ensure not only free, fair and impartial elections but also to create an environment for the voters to vote freely.
"This means ECP should take every step to ensure fair play in the elections including eliminating chances of pre-poll rigging," Haideri said.
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