LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Tuesday expressed satisfaction that the 2018 general elections were held on time and remained, by and large, peaceful. However, it regretted the loss of many lives in violence preceding the elections and condoled with the families of the victims.
In a statement, the HRCP expressed satisfaction and said that the conduct of the polls remained peaceful, but it shared concern over the complaints made by several political parties as well as the HRCP’s observers regarding the management of post-poll formalities. Numerous reports that vote count was poorly handled – with polling agents prevented from observing the final count in many cases and the unprecedented delay in results have cast a shadow on the electoral process.
These questions must be diligently addressed to avoid any doubts concerning the credibility of the elections. The HRCP’s field reports have indicated that observers’ access to polling stations remained problematic, for instance in NA-164 (Vehari), NA-125 (Lahore), NA-13 (Mansehra), NA-270 (Panjgur), NA-260 (Nasirabad) and NA-25 (Nowshera). Moreover, many observers were prevented from remaining at any polling station long enough to document and verify their observations satisfactorily. The HRCP urged the ECP to appreciate the fact that election observation is a time-consuming exercise on which the credibility of the election hinges.
The HRCP expressed concern over reports that polling agents, the media and observers were not allowed to remain present during the vote count in many cases. Observers in numerous constituencies, including NA-100 (Chiniot), NA-76 (Sialkot), NA-13 (Mansehra), NA-16 (Abbottabad), NA-49 (South Waziristan Agency), NA-129, NA-130 and NA-131 (Lahore), were prevented from observing the vote count. Indeed, HRCP’s observer team in Turbat reported that polling agents were locked into a separate room while the votes were being counted. At one polling station in NA-125 (Lahore), the presiding officer ordered an observer out of the polling station, reportedly without just cause, threatening to have him arrested unless he complied. The HRCP expressed hope that the ECP would investigate into such incidents and make its findings public.
‘The contention that has arisen over reports that polling agents and/or observers were not given a copy of Form 45 – to which they are entitled under the law – needs to be addressed swiftly and convincingly by the ECP. It is difficult to believe that this should have occurred in so many instances solely due to poor management. The HRCP’s observers have confirmed similar reports in numerous constituencies, including, among others, Sialkot, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Charsadda, South Waziristan Agency, Kurram Agency, Chiniot, Lasbela, Gwadar, Mastung, Loralai, Panjgur and Quetta.
‘While there were few signs of obvious interference with polling overall, many observers reported that polling staff relied visibly on security personnel to clarify balloting procedures. The ECP needed to address this apparent lack of training well before the next elections.
In NA-24 (Charsadda), security personnel were observed separating ballots into invalid and valid votes. In NA-21 (Mardan), they intervened when observers attempted to ask the presiding officer about the ongoing polling. Observers at one polling station in Islamabad reported that security personnel demanded that women voters show them their stamped ballots. The principle of vote confidentiality cannot be compromised in this way and HRCP maintains that the presence of security personnel inside polling booths is the thin end of the wedge.
‘A political mandate is not an end in itself and political rhetoric alone will not suffice. HRCP urged the new government to take serious notice of the challenges that continue to beleaguer Pakistan’s democratic development.
‘A positive aspect of this election has been the greater turnout among women voters in rural Sindh and KP as well as the election of several members of religious minorities.
‘HRCP reiterates the importance of transparency in determining Pakistan’s security imperatives, both domestic and external, and charting out policies, including measures to decrease tensions with India and Afghanistan – in a more inclusive manner. Above all, none of these goals can be achieved without securing the sovereignty of Parliament and civilian supremacy over all major policy decisions. This means ensuring that all state services operate within their legal domain and are held accountable for their actions. If Parliament is expected to deliver, then it must be allowed to function with un-engineered public support so that it could play its part freely, with confidence, and without fear or pressure from any source.
