Endless Delays

Sindh nationalists, independent analysts condemn another postponement of LG elections

Many questions lurk over the postponement of the second phase of the Sindh Local Government (LG) elections which were to be held in the two main administrative divisions of the province, Karachi and Hyderabad. Sindhi nationalists as well as independent analysts believe that Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and its ally in power, Muttahidda Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), are using delaying tactics to avoid a possible setback at the hustings.

The election that was scheduled for 23 October has been postponed on grounds that since most police force remains busy with the relief work in flood affected areas, adequate manpower to provide security during elections will not be available. This is the third postponement since June, when unprecedented rains and floods hit many areas across the country. Here is how some of the experts contacted by Bol News explained the situation.

Dr Qadir Magsi, Chairman Sindh Taraqi-pasand Party (STP)

PPP calls itself a democratic party. Its past leaders might have rendered sacrifices, but its present leadership doesn’t even know what democracy means. They are trained to work as administrators, and their aim is to get their share in plunder while escaping accountability. Sindh government has enough police force to provide security for National Assembly elections and cricket matches, but there are no police available when it comes to local bodies elections. This is a lame excuse.

Legally, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) does not have the wherewithal to manage elections. It has to depend on the administrative support of the government and the law enforcement agencies to ensure fair, transparent and impartial elections. It is the responsibility of the government to facilitate the ECP. If the government is reluctant to fulfil its constitutional duty, then the ECP has no choice but to defer the polls.

Syed Zain Shah, President Sindh United Party (SUP)

Until the PPP is confident of winning, the local elections will not be held. Both the ruling parties — PPP and MQM-P – are scared of the rising popularity of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as well as Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).

And even if elections are held, they will plan to rig them. They will improvise through seat adjustments, and by appointing their own activists having jobs in educational and other institutions as polling staff. Therefore, I demand that the judiciary should provide polling staff, and teams of Pakistan Army and the Rangers should be deployed for security instead of Sindh police which we do not trust.

Regarding the government’s plea about the shortage of police personnel, the fact remains that police force based in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions have never been deployed in the calamity-hit areas of Sindh interior at all. I come from a flood-affected area, and the only police doing duties there is local police.

Riaz Chandio, Chairman Jeay Sindh Mahaz-Riaz (JSM-R)

The PPP and MQM-P are responsible for delays in local elections. This is because both parties have become unpopular. Both have a share in the federal as well as provincial governments and are enjoying power perks. PPP won the first phase of the local bodies polls by using the police and government machinery to frighten people.

On the other hand, the powerful establishment of the country has reincarnated and strengthened the religious party, JI, by providing it with funding. We may remember that JI has enjoyed support of the establishment for nearly seven decades. Both JI and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) are the current favourites of the establishment, and are likely to be empowered to rule Karachi, the business hub of Pakistan.

Also, no action has so far been taken against illegal Afghan refugees who are hoisting Afghan flags, are involved in street violence and illegal drugs trade, and yet they are surreptitiously issued Pakistani national ID cards so as to be able to cast votes in local elections.

Apart from JI and TLP, the establishment is also helping the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to carve a niche in Karachi. This is because all of these three parties support and patronize Afghan refugees and will thus be helpful in changing Karachi’s demography.

The local elections have been put off to buy time and prepare grounds for the achievement of these targets.

Fahim Zaman, analyst and former administrator of Karachi

PPP’s main slogan has been that people are the source of power. But I think it does not trust the people any more. When a government runs away from elections, it is in fact refusing to give people their rights.

I recently visited many flood-affected areas, and my observation was that the government machinery was not so overwhelmingly preoccupied with rescue and relief as to be unable to provide security for local elections in a restricted area.

There is no shortage of police in Sindh. Recently, PPP sent police contingents to Sindh House in Islamabad to ensure security of the parliamentarians who had quit the PTI alliance and were planning a no-trust vote against Imran Khan.

Even if the police manpower is not available, the government can get the home department to deploy the army and rangers to secure polling stations. These forces are not like some political parties that will refuse to cooperate with the government.

Hussain Naqi, senior analyst and journalist

Delaying elections will not help the PPP. The MQM-P, however, has grown weaker due to internal splits. If the PPP facilitates the ECP to hold local polls right now, it may win more seats. However, it postponed elections perhaps because it feels it might have become less popular in Karachi and Hyderabad. Local governments, though central to empowering the masses at the grassroots level, are run by the provincial governments that are always reluctant to devolve powers.

The provincial government, in connivance with the civil bureaucracy, is eager to embezzle public funds instead of spending them on maintaining road infrastructure and, given a significant rise in population, building new public parks and playgrounds for youth. Cities are unclean, roads are all broken, the sewerage systems are poor and often damaged, and there is no proper solid waste management and garbage disposal systems. All this is because local government set-ups do not exist. There is no such set-up in Lahore, for example, which has a population of 10 million. Without such a set-up, citizens cannot hope to enjoy the very basic amenities which constitute their fundamental rights.