It is now 10:25 pm on Election day here in Pakistan.
So far the results coming in (tentative) as they are being repeatedly called by all the news channels indicate the following very important facts
1) The religious parties are losing big time, they have lost a lot of credibility due to their alleged links with militants in Pakistan who are responsible for some of the worst violence we have witnessed in our history by Suicide attacks
2) PML Q’s days are finished, they might win a few seats in their strongholds but overall they are coughing in the dust of PML (N) in punjab
3) In Sindh PPP is the vast majority leader, they have been very organized and have milked the sympathy vote to the maximum, the only opposition they have faced is in the areas where MQM is contesting against them.
4) In Urban Karachi and Hyderabad, there is no challenge to MQM, they are winning by a landslide. All the people i have spoken to today, across this city have voted for MQM based on a number of observations. Chief among them being ” When it rained and the roads were flooded who else but Mustufa Kamal was seen standing himself at night supervise drainage” when the storm came and hoardings flew all over the same gent was there working for this city and so on.
I now am quite sure that rigging on whatever scale (if it has even happened) has caused minimum or no damage in these elections. The voter turnout has been more than we expected, more than we thought would occur and the people have spoken loud and clear. Let me remind my readers that several parties and blogs are screaming “Rigging” “Rigging” while totally ignoring the fact that when the ruling party rigs an election it bloody wins!!! It is losing… all over which shows what???
However the best and the most heartning news i have heard all day today is being broadcast on all TV channels right now. That after closing time there were crowds of people hanging around outside polling stations in many areas. when interviewed they spoke with determination to themselves act as observers and to make sure no rigging takes place. It seems we have awakened!! I hope now that we have the grace to accept these results and move on tomorrow.
P.S ( did i toot my horn about CNN calling me to express my opinion on the expected low turnout in the polls today) well here it is….
My View on CNN (its just three lines in the middle of the article..but hey i am not complaining)