According to a section of the press, some politicians have criticized Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for not contesting the recently held by-polls in the country. In order to set the record straight, it is necessary to remove the unfounded doubts and see the things in its true perspective.
Right from its inception, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has believed in the politics of principles and fair play. It has always stood for the institutions, which strengthen the very basis of democracy in Pakistan. Besides an independent judiciary, an independent Election Commission guarantees transparency in the election process to the satisfaction of all stakeholders. The chairman PTI has always contended that any elections would prove to be an exercise in futility as long as they are not held in a true spirit of democracy. In this regard the PTI maintains that there are at least three sine qua non for holding free and fair elections in Pakistan.
First of all, there should be a neutral caretaker set-up, which ensures transparent elections in a peaceful manner. Second, doing away of the old and outdated electoral lists and holding of elections on the basis of fresh electoral rolls prepared by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) within a specified time-frame set by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Third, elections are conducted by a thoroughly independent Election Commission. The absence of one or any of the three pre-requisites gives way to the influential people to rig the elections to their own advantage. Leave alone all, the existing system of elections does not make even one of the three basic essentials of free and fair elections available to all the political parties of Pakistan.
Circumstances not conducive to fair play, made not only PTI but other political parties including Jamat-e-Islami stay away from the sham process of free and fair by-elections. By-elections were held under dubious circumstances that unjustly suit and support the PPP and the PML-N. The PTI reserves its right to challenge in a court of law the validity of elections which were not held on the basis of completely revised electoral rolls as required under the rule of law.
(The writer is Media Coordinator, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.)
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