People of Pakistan have once again spoken loud and clear in a free and transparent elections and rededicated themselves to the ideals of the father of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah by rejecting the religious parties in the 2008 general elections.
"Pakistan will not be a theocratic state," the Founder of the new nation had told the world before independence in 1947. Six decades later the entire nation from Karachi to Chitral and Khunjrab to Zahidan gave its unanimous verdict and rejected the religious parties who now symbolise intolerance, bigotry, and self-righteous, sectarianism.
"Isn't it an ample proof that only five members of the religious parties would be sitting in the National Assembly where MMA had an awesome and dominant presence just a few months ago?", one political analyst asked this scribe here on Wednesday.
He said the Pakistani nation is an ardent, faithful and loyal follower of the cherished ideals and principles of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah who fought for and won a separate homeland for the suppressed Muslims of the subcontinent only with the weapon of ballot paper and Constitution.
It may be recalled that in the outgoing National Assembly the conglomerate of six religious parties MMA had more than 70 members and one of its members Maulana Fazlur Rehman was leader of the opposition. It ruled NWFP for five years and was a coalition partner in Balochistan.
In the 2008 general elections only five MMA members have managed to win the election. One analyst said the people have pushed the religious parties back to their 70's electoral support ie before the establishment had begun supporting them.
He said the people have voted for secular parties like PPP, ANP, MQM and PML (N), therefore henceforth name of Islam or religious issues would not used for political ends. He said that against all odds Pakistani voters have proved beyond any doubt that they want peace, freedom, democracy, enlightenment and economic progress.
He said the people's verdict in favour of the democratic and secular forces would definitely improve Pakistan's image abroad and make every expatriate Pakistani feel proud of the democratic Pakistani society. Meanwhile after completion of the 2008 general elections results, Islamabad has become focus and hub of the political activities.
Prominent political leaders have started arriving in the federal government to discuss the future political set up and formation of the Federal and provincial governments. Two major political parties, Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League (N) are separately holding meetings of their Central Executive Committees and Central Parliamentary Parties on Thursday to chalk out their future political strategies.
PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardar and PML (N) leader Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif are also scheduled to meet and discuss formation of coalition governments at the Centre and the provinces.
Both have indicated to cooperate with all the democratic political parties to restore democracy and solve the peoples problems. Zardari had a meeting with the US Ambassador and the visiting three member team of the US Senators here on Wednesday and discussed matters connected with the formation of newly elected government and future Pakistan-US relations.
He also discussed political, party and policy matters with his senior colleagues Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Yousuf Raza Gillani, Dr Baber Awan and addressed a news conference to unfold agenda of his party.
Nawaz Sharif has also invited Asfandyar Wali Khan, leader of the Awami National Party (ANP) which has emerged a force to reckon with in NWFP , for talks on future political co-operation. Both PML (N) and ANP were coalition partners in NWFP and at the Centre before October 1999 when the then Chief of the Army Staff General Pervez Musharraf toppled their government.
MQM leader Altaf Hussain has also offered to have talks with the PPP and PML (N|) leadership to discuss prospects of future political co-operation. Political observers expect that the newly elected National Assembly would be called into session next week. The Election Commission is likely notify the official results on Thursday.