Biased set up?

With the ECP’s recent announcement scheduling the general elections for the last week of January next year, the prevailing uncertainty surrounding the elections should finally subside, thus leading to a reduction in political instability. However, concerns persist regarding the need to establish a level playing-field for all political parties involved. There is a prevailing belief that conditions are being arranged to favour the PML-N’s success in the elections, a point hotly debated by the PPP, MQM-P, and other significant parties. Regrettably, the caretaker government appears to have largely disregarded the recent directive from the ECP, which explicitly stated that individuals with political affiliations should not be appointed to the federal cabinet.

This situation has created a widespread perception that the caretaker government is merely a continuation of the last PML-N-led coalition government, casting doubt on its neutrality. This perception is further reinforced by Nawaz Sharif’s statement that the PML-N is destined to form the next elected government. In order to guarantee free, fair, transparent, and impartial elections, it is imperative that the caretaker PM promptly requests politically-affiliated individuals in the cabinet to resign from their positions.

Hussain Siddiqui

Islamabad