The result of much awaited elections in Pakistan are about to be revealed and the supporters of Pakistan Peoples Party whose leader, Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated on Dec. 27, and the Pakistan Muslim League-N, the faction led by Nawaz Sharif have started to celebrate the end of military rule. Pakistan’s opposition parties have won parliamentary elections, keeping Musharraf government and its allied parties out of office. But do you really think, government either formed by PPP alone or with alliance with other party like Pakistan Muslim League- N will bring any drastic change in Pakistan? Do you believe the opposition government will be able to create happiness, employment, prosperity, justice at all front, foreign investment, gender equality, security, and terror free nation? I doubt that.
Pakistan, which has been witness of many major bomb explosions merely before 40 days of upcoming elections, is still socially and politically unstable. This election is for 272 seat in Pakistan’s Lower House and some regional offices. It is more a referendum between ‘Islam first, Pakistan second’ supporters and the ‘Pakistan first, Islam second’ advocates. Bhutto’s widower (and defacto head of the PPP) recently stated that he believes Al-Qaeda and Baitullah Mehsud (the Taliban leader who the Pakistani, US and British governments have identified as the most likely suspect in the Bhutto Assassination) was not responsible for his wife’s death. Any way I hope, the Feb. 18 elections would be yet another blow to the freedom of expression, civil liberties, constitution, societal tolerance, and the people’s participation in the state affairs in Pakistan.
Via: NY Times
