Democratic market

All democratic governments value the people and the votes that bring them into power. And it is the duty of all elected candidates to respect the votes they get. These votes are an interpretation of the confidence that people repose in the fact that the candidates they elect will be honest and faithful. But that is not what we saw in the recent Senate elections. Allegations of all parties having indulged in horse-trading came from all sides and corners. Elected MPAs violated their respective party’s decisions and sold their votes to unknown buyers. Despite such an open buying and selling of votes, no names were named.

But there is no excuse for the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Supreme Court to not investigate and identify those who breached the people’s trust. Inaction will only deepen the already existing cracks in our democracy.

Mehran Khan

Islamabad