Pakistani voters reject terror fears

Country in upbeat mood as public campaign draws to a close amid tightened security

POLITICAL PARTIES in Pakistan on Monday wound up a high-decibel campaign for the July 25 national elections as the common man brushed aside security fears and vowed to go the booths to defeat terrorism.

The mood in the country is upbeat, the cities are vibrant and the voters active. Ahead of the country’s second transition to a democratic government, street corners, poles and buildings are adorned

with party flags and banners explaining why people should vote for their respective candidates.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has given the army judicial powers to maintain law and order and ensure free and fair elections. Around 350,000 military personnel would be deployed

across the country inside and outside the polling stations during the balloting exercise.

Brig (Retd) Said Nazir, a defence analyst, said that foolproof security for all candidates is not possible but security agencies should take some pro-active measures in this regard. “Militants want to create

anarchy in our country but the nation is united against militancy. Our military and civil leadership are on the same page and determined to continue the war against terror till its logical end,” he said.

“The upcoming government

should ensure an effective implementation of National Action Plan in the country,” he added.

The common man, however, does not appear to be unduly worried. “We will definitely go to vote whatever the situation,” said Muhammed Usman, a first time voter.

“It is time we defeated our enemy through ballots, and by choosing the right leadership, we can put an end to terrorism,” he added.

Zafar Gujjar, another voter, thinks on the same lines. “To defeat terrorism, we need a stable government which we can have through a proper voting process,” he said.

Campaigning for the elections came to an end at midnight with all leaders addressing rallies and holding meetings in a last-minute bid to secure votes. Driving down the roads, people waved flags and chanted anti and pro-party slogans. Party songs blared on roadsides till the last second when the curtain came down on public campaigns.

Traditionally, Lahore has been a stronghold of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) but recently the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has made inroads into the city’s fabric with a number of potential voters saying that they want to give the party “a chance”. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), however, is less talked about in a province that has a decisive role in the making of government. In all, 183 of the 342 seats in the National Assembly are from Punjab, making the province the main battleground for all major political parties.

While voters here are upbeat and have already chosen whom they will vote for, the security situation remains a concern. The country recently witnessed one of the bloodiest massacres in history when a suicide bomber killed nearly 150 people in an attack on a Baloch Awami Party campaign rally in Mastung, Balochistan, on July 13. Baloch Awami candidate Siraj Raisani was among the victims.

On July 10, Haroon Bilour, a candidate belonging to the Awami National Party, was killed in an attack claimed by the Tehreeke-Taleban Pakistan.