I am sure elections were not only rigged at NA-122 but at about 80 to 90% constituencies all over the country. Our common people who actually go to polling stations and cast their votes are illiterate and uneducated. They are unaware of the value of their vote. They cast their votes on the basis of faith, religion, community, family relationship, family and personal relationship, dummy election slogans, influence or threat from influential personalities/ communities and getting value of their vote in terms of money. Most of the poor people prefer to vote for those candidates who can help them in their daily routine Police station/ Court matters.
I remember that about 20-25 years ago, while I was residing at my village in Swabi district, some people were selling their family/ collective votes just for 50-100 rupees per vote. I asked them "why are you people doing this practice" and tried to educate them that your vote is your national right & responsibility to choose suitable, eligible, honest and intelligent candidates to run your country for 5 years. Some of the voters told me that "we had seen these candidates today and that we are sure these candidates will not appear before us in the coming 5 years, so it is batter to get money from today on the spot". This is the thinking of our voters and this is the behavior of our representatives. What can we expect from them.
Majority of the educated people who can choose best out of the contesting candidates do not bother to go to the polling station and cast their vote because they feel their vote has no value and that the election in our country is simply a stage drama to put dust in the eyes of the nation and the world. Election in our country is actually a selection of chosen people/ parties who are supposed to run the country according to the wishes of the western powers.
When the chosen political lot fails to fulfill the desire of the people at the helm of affairs, their government is toppled for one or the other reason and Martial Law is imposed in the country. We have seen 4 such Martial Laws and 2 political governments of Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Farooq Leghari. All these changes were master minded to achieve specific results and complete particular tasks. National interest was no where the priority or perhaps I am unable to understand the strategy behind the toppling of these legitimate governments.
No doubt democracy is the best form of government as appears from its definition that " It is government of the people, by the people for the people" but this system of government is suitable for 100% educated societies where people use their vote according to their own independent will and the elected representatives run the government for the uplift of the nation and the country. At least I am not convinced that we can see any change in the prevailing situation or the affairs of the government through the process of election as it evident from the previous track record of the elections, Martial Laws, Civil Martial Law administrators and selfish, undemocratic, inefficient and greedy civilian governments.
The so called democratic political parties in our country do not follow democratic process in their own parties/ party elections than how can we expect democratic behavior from them in the running of the parliament/ government. This is my opinion, I don't claim to be 100% correct. I always appreciate my critics and welcome them to guide me in the right direction.
With Best Wishes & Warm Regards,
Muhammad Haroon Sabir
Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
Pakistan.
