Lessons from NA-122 by-election

The feverish phase of the bye-elections in Lahore is now over. The PML-N again carried the day when its potential candidate, Ayaz Sadiq, re-won the NA-122 constituency, considered the stronghold of the ruling Nawaz League. But the body language and later claims of the PTI leaders that voter lists of the constituency have been changed lead to the fact that the politics of allegations and point scoring is not yet over. Though army was deployed during this tough rather controversial election contest, yet this could not satisfy the PTI as it has again moved the court over the voter lists. This may not deliver but strengthen the notion that the PTI, that claims to bring change in the country through vote and reforms, is in no mood to contribute towards strengthening the democratic political culture in the country. No doubt that the PTI has emerged as the political force in the country and is running the provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but its shallow approach on political issues gives the impression that it has yet to go a long way to have a mature understanding of issues and learn about how to act like a bigger political force in the country.
NA-122 was one of the four National Assembly constituencies where the PTI has been demanding recounting claiming that the elections were rigged there. Ayaz Sadiq, an old Atchisonian, soft spoken and once chum of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, had earlier won this NA seat thrice. He successfully contested the 2002 general election on PML-N ticket against Khan and defeated him with huge a margin from NA-122 Lahore. In the 2008 elections, he defeated the PPP candidate with a huge margin. He was elected MNA for the third consecutive term in 2013 defeating Imran Khan for the second time. And now it is his fourth consecutive victory in this constituency when he defeated the PTI candidate who is a less politician and more a real estate tycoon.
If one recalls the facts, Imran did not accept the polling results of the NA-122 constituency in 2013 and resorted to doing politics of sit-ins and protest rallies. In fact, Imran does politics with his own rules ignoring the fact that games are played with others on some certain mandatory rules. His party’s long march, in the company of Pakistan Awami Tehreek, from Lahore to Islamabad and then over four-month sit-in in front of the Parliament House had not only ceased the whole capital of Islamabad but also inflicted a heavy economic loss to the national economy.
In short, Imran Khan’s almost all demands were met whether it is constitution of the judicial commission to ensure fair probe into his rigging allegations, revoking of the NA-122 results of 2013 elections or the bye-polls elections with army troops deployment.
The army deployment for the NA-122 elections might have barred Imran Khan from raising his ‘election rigging mantra’. But the PTI raised the issue of voter lists were changed. It claimed that about 20,000 voters were included in the constituency. However, the Election Commission has rejected this claim. This gives rise to the impression that the PTI believes only in the politics of opposition for the sake of opposition.
As far as his demand for PM Sharif’s resignation before the judicial probe of rigging charges looked illogical. In fact when Imran’s demand of judicial commission was accepted, it meant that the government would not have any influence on the commission’s proceedings. On the other side, it looks surprising that when the opposition had demanded resignation of KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on the issue of KP LG polls fiasco it was Imran Khan who refused to accept it. Such politics is by no means a service to the people. Will voters continue bearing the brunt of shallow politics of those who say one thing one day and do other thing next day?
Due to such unhealthy and negatives trends Pakistan has suffered a lot on both national and international fronts. Even the Chinese President Xi Jinping had to postpone his scheduled visit to Pakistan as he was due to sign various development projects involving about $46 billion including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
The PTI must feel the pulse of the voters who have again given their verdict in favour of Ayaz Sadiq. On the other side, despite having lost its provincial assembly seat - PP-147 - under the same constituency the PML-N has accepted the masses’ verdict.
In fact, the bye-election results have re-validated the 2013 election results as the voters haven’t lent their ear to what the PTI leadership had been raising by using accusatory language during the electioneering.
Can the PTI continue saying that its mandate has been stolen, when it has lost many by-elections to various parties often times failing to retrieve even the same vote bank they had in, what it claimed, the rigged 2013 elections?
In fact, Imran has wasted almost two-and-a-half years of precious time that he could have been spent to change the destiny of the people of KP who voted him to power.The country is no more in any position to afford any political immaturity at any level. The political forces particularly the PTI need to realise their obligatory role towards nation building. The PTI, which is doing the politics of ‘change’ in the country, is supposed to demonstrate a mature wisdom and understanding of the national issues.
At a time when PPP’s status is constantly shrinking from the national political force to a provincial party, it is the ripe time for the PTI to arrest this opportunity and fill this political vacuum diligently and bring the ‘change’ the core point which its manifesto based on.
Parliament is the suitable platform to raise issues. The PTI needs to effectively be part of the Parliament and give its input on national issues rather than sticking to the accusatory politics which is hard to sell any more.