The Ballot Paper Enigma: Unveiling a Simple Sheet or a Glimpse into Our Future?
For most nations, elections are a routine process of a functional democracy. For Pakistan, elections are always an event. These elections, like all the ones before, are coupled with a number of controversies and uncertainties.
Have you ever thought of taking a few minutes out of your busy schedule and taking a detour from your long usual reading list to give a read to the book that is only next to the Holy Quran for us; to realize the fundamental rights it gives us as taxpayers of this state, to understand the responsibilities it imposes on us as citizens of this state- the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan? Since the most likely answer to this question is no, let me quote the very initial lines from it.
“Whereas sovereignty over the entire Universe belongs to Almighty
Allah alone, and the authority to be exercised by the people of Pakistan
within the limits prescribed by Him is a sacred trust;
And whereas it is the will of the people of Pakistan to establish an
order;
Wherein the State shall exercise its powers and authority through
the chosen representatives of the people…”
Preamble, Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973.
These are not mere lines; they define the basis – the soul – of the very constitution upon which lies the foundation of democracy of Pakistan. Hereby, making these facts clearer than ever that the foundations on which this constitution and resultantly the democratic state of Pakistan – at least as they like to call it – stand are “the will of the people” and “the chosen representatives of the people” and that the power belongs only to the people of Pakistan.
The Past
General Elections 1945-46:
It is important to know what exactly led to the independence of our motherland, which again was the will of the people. Considering the rising political instability and raised sentiments of the public (sounds familiar, no?) – especially Muslims – against the British colonial rule, the Viceroy announced general elections in 1945. The Muslim League, which claimed to be the only representative party of the Muslims in the subcontinent, weren’t exactly demanding elections. They wanted a separate state. But to counter the claims of the Indian National Congress, subcontinent’s largest political party, that it also represents Muslims, Muslim League did contest elections and ended up winning 30 out of 30 reserved seats for Muslims in the National Assembly, proving its claim that it, indeed, is the only representative party of the Muslims in the subcontinent, leading to further fulfilment of its demand- a separate Muslim state.
It, certainly, was the will of the people that won in the end, and what led them towards it was its expression, most visibly, through elections and their vote.
General Elections 1970:
Another election, another unforgettable page of our history – General Elections 1970. Again the rising political instability and increased sentiments of majority of the population – this time against the military rule in the country led to the announcement of elections. Sheikh Mujibur Rehman’s Awami League, which was the largest party of the eastern wing of the country – larger in population and resources – took it as a challenge. The province of East Pakistan claimed to be neglected by the government economically and socially.
Despite all the reservations about the electoral process and the alleged military influence on it, Awami League contested elections and ended up winning a simple majority against the power corridors’ then-favourite Pakistan People’s Party.
The will of the people was loud and clear, but the power corridors decided to go against it by delaying the National Assembly Session, incarcerating Rehman, and trying to find a “middle ground”, which only resulted in further political unrest, violent protests, horrific bloodshed, loss of lives and eventually the creation of Bangladesh.
The point to be noted is that at the end of the day, what won in the was, again, the will of the people. The powers eventually had to surrender to it. Had they respected it timely, our country wouldn’t have broken into two halves.
The Present
Today, our beloved homeland faces a similar challenge, if not worse. Same crossroads, same circumstances, only different characters. For the past year, the country’s two largest provinces: Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, are being run without any democratically elected government. This is not only a violation of the constitution that bounds the interim government to hold elections no later than 90 days after the dissolution of the assembly but also deprives the people of their fundamental right to elect the representatives of their choice. Similarly, the federation is running without any democratically elected government since August 2023, again violating the constitution.
The Supreme Court of the country, which is the guardian of the constitution and the fundamental rights of the citizens, eventually ordered to hold the general elections on the 8th of the coming month, but at what cost?
Operation Regime Change:
The people of Pakistan have paid a cost too heavy for these elections. Let’s rewind to the start. Almost two years ago, on April 9, 2022, the country’s first ever successful no-confidence motion took place against then Prime Minister, Imran Khan. The no-confidence motion was allegedly engineered by foreign players whom Khan has named time and again in his rallies and interviews. The transfer of power occurred, very visibly, against the will of the people. What followed it was something nobody expected, not even the power corridors. On the night of April 10, 2022, 24 hours to be exact after Khan’s ouster, the public was on streets. Massive protests were observed in the entire country without any leadership or formal call from the party. This was the first ignition of one of the biggest movements the country has ever seen, as called by Khan, “Movement of Haqeeqi Azaadi”. The movement was only fueled further by the new government’s incompetency, skyrocketing inflation, economic destruction, failed management of a disastrous flood, and refusal of all the parties in the coalition to take responsibility for any of it.
Khan’s movement on the other hand became the talk of the town. His narrative of ‘Operation Regime Change through Foreign Intervention’ gained him unprecedented popularity and his demand to hold free and fair general elections country became a nation-wide demand. He held some of the biggest rallies in the country’s history in numerous cities and what followed was a massive crackdown on him, his party, and its workers.
One infamous noon of May:
Numerous assassination attempts were made on Khan. A prominent journalist, who was very vocal about the entire Regime Change Operation, Arshad Sharif, was murdered in Kenya. An autistic PTI worker, Ali Bilal, was abducted from Zaman Park (Khan’s residence) and was later found dead on a road; his post-mortem report stated that he allegedly lost his life to custodial torture. Khan’s house was attacked by the police force several times. And then comes that one infamous noon of May 2023, when he got abducted from court premises, resulting in massive protests across the country.
In the guise of action against those protests, a well-organized and well-planned crackdown was launched against the country’s largest political party in an attempt to eradicate it. The party’s top tier leadership was abducted and was forced to leave the party. Other party workers were kidnapped, their houses were vandalized and their families were threatened. Hundreds and thousands of them, including Khan himself along with several women and even children, still lie in jail, charged under frivolous cases. Many of them, scared for their lives, went underground and are still hiding.
What is the target: A party or you?
The victimization of this one political party did not stop even after the call for elections, which was the only demand of Khan. Nomination papers got snatched from his party’s candidates, who themselves alongside their proposers got abducted and threatened. More than 90% of the nomination papers, which got submitted in the first place, were rejected on technical bases, including Khan’s own papers. And less than a month before the general elections in the country, the electoral symbol of the country’s largest political party, bat, was taken away from it, again, in an attempt to finish the party or the will of the people.
Read More: United We Win ; Divided We Fall
But the question that remains there is: can the will of the people really be suppressed by the exercise of power?
Did we learn anything from history?
History is a testament to the fact that sooner or later it is the will of the people that stands triumphant. Every time the authorities have sought to defeat the people, it has been the will of the people that stood victorious. Our past and present, unanimously fail the narrative that our vote has no power. Had it been this powerless, it wouldn’t have changed the world map twice. Had it been this powerless, it wouldn’t have brought the entire state machinery to its knees against one political party. Had it been this powerless, the assemblies wouldn’t have been running without any elected governments. Had it been this powerless, the elections would’ve been called way before.
The power corridors, perhaps, learnt nothing from history. But did we learn that no power can stop the idea whose time has come? It is about time, we as citizens and taxpayers of this state, realize that casting our vote, and casting it to the right person, is not just our fundamental right but our biggest responsibility- a social, national, and religious responsibility. Educate yourself, read between the lines, find the good and the evil, see the black and the white, and stamp the one you think is right. Recognizing the impact of your vote is the first step; the next is to empower others with this knowledge.
In the tapestry of our nation’s history, the threads of sacrifice, resilience, and determination have woven a narrative that reverberates through generations. Lives lost, blood spilt, and sweat shed- all for the sacred right to vote. As we stand at the crossroads of a crumbling democracy, this is not just an election; it is our last chance to fortify the foundations on which stands our democratic state. Let us heed the call of those who paved the way for our democratic journey and cast our votes with a profound understanding that in this pivotal moment, our choices carry the weight of history. It is not merely a vote; it is the collective heartbeat of a nation fighting for its survival; it is your chance to stand against the oppression you are being subjected to for the past two years.
The ballot paper is not just an ordinary piece of paper. It is your future. Realize its power and use it to shape your future. Your future is in your own hands. And despite all the reservations about the electoral process, just remember that no power on earth can defeat the will of the people.
“You are the best community ever raised for humanity—you encourage good, forbid evil, and believe in Allah”
(Al Quran 3:110)
This is such a wonderfully articulated article and talks, in the most convincing manner, about our rights and responsibilities.
For me, these elections are a test for our nation, and if God Forbid, we fail in this test, this might be the last test we ever get to take.
We have to vote… We have to stay focused, we have to deny the robbery which they are planning to snatch away our existence as living human beings.
May Allah Bless us with courage and wisdom.
Heartiest thanks to the author of this article. By writing this you have done exactly you were supposed to do as a responsible and Patriotic citizen of this beautiful country.