The ‘traitor’ tag

The battle between former prime minister Imran Khan and the Election Commission of Pakistan is becoming more and more heated, following remarks by the PTI chief in Khushab that the ECP was violating rules and failing to make out new electoral rolls. Imran and other PTI leaders have alleged that the rolls are being tampered with and that the old electoral rolls left out voters or added new ones to the list. The ECP has firmly denied this in a statement and pointed out that under the law of the land, the ECP is solely in charge of conducting polls in the country, and that the by-polls on the vacated seats in Punjab will be held as per the constitution and what the laws state. The ECP has also taken strong exception to remarks by the PTI chairman that CEC Sikander Sultan Raja would be seen as a ‘traitor’ in times to come, saying that no institution becomes a traitor due to any edicts of treason and that the electoral body will not be pressurized into anything.

Regardless of who is in power, and what the colour of their official dress is, if there is one thing that has been constant in this country, it is the ‘traitor’ tag. While this trend may not have been started by the PTI, the party has taken the art of doling out patriotism and treason certificates to a new level, along with its oft-used religion card. Ever since the ECP guarded its independence and came out with the Daska report on manipulation of election results by the PTI government, the party has been gunning for the body and its chief. No wonder then that the top leadership of the PTI has started giving out edicts against the ECP. The Punjab by-polls are obviously important to the PTI, but this is no excuse for the manner in which the ECP is being accused of wrongdoing of all kinds – without a shred of evidence. All this leads to increasing disquiet amongst the public. In the divided political situation we have at present, such remarks by the PTI do not help. The matter of electoral reforms as a whole and the by-polls in Punjab could have been sorted out had the parties agreed to meet and discuss issues with the ECP officials in a dignified manner. This did not happen. Imran Khan and his party should realize that labelling anyone a traitor will come right back to haunt them. From Fatima Jinnah to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the label of 'traitor' has been used against opponents to discredit them. History, however, is the ultimate judge and jury and its verdict has been clear on such allegations and labels.

The current high-on-rhetoric stance by the PTI has also been spilling over into real life – beyond the rallies and the TV screens. The most recent example is the public heckling of PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal who was accosted by alleged PTI supporters at a fast-food restaurant. While the minister exhibited extreme restraint while slogans were being chanted against him, the incident itself is not surprising given the turn politics has taken in the country of late. It is for the PTI’s own good that it realizes that such things will not be tolerated by their opponents either and can lead to further violence and toxic behaviour. If the party is so confident about its support – which it has every right to be – then it should try and discourage not only its supporters but its leader too from indulging in such allegations to settle political scores.