Free and Fair Elections

Only a free and fair elections, held under a neutral and esteemed caretaker government and by an independent election commission can ensure the smooth transition to the lasting peace and power for this nation. Holding a fair and free election is the responsibility of the government and if President Pervez Musharraf and the government that comes into being after the elections are to obtain any true and authentic legitimacy and earn the public’s approval on that count, they must have a mandate from the populace.

Though America is trying hard to get the Benazir Bhutto in place by brute force, the consequences of such action are immense and dangerous. Her reputation and image is not that what it used to be. She has sucked all the juice from her father’s legacy, and now she is more known along with her husband, then her father. For most Pakistanis she is Benazir Zardari instead of Benazir Bhutto. Her political career is littered with money laundering, Surrey Palace, expensive horses, commissions, lies, cajoling and intrigues etc. She is not the best choice for the nation, and US should kept this in perspective.

Its useless to say to US to mind its own business, so at least it would be prudent to ask them “shamelessly” that to send someone more sensible or give Shaukat Aziz yet another chance. In its pursuit to have a democratic moderate government in which the military will share power with the PPP, US is playing a strange and unpopular game. US is clearly facilitating a deal between the present regime and Benazir Bhutto and nation stands by watching in despair and disgust.

United States is interested in seeing a moderate political federation in Pakistan, with very little power to the provinces. Though US spokespersons from different forums have aired their opinion that what US wants is the converging of all the moderate elements at one platform and contribute to the elections, in which Pakistanis choose their own leader. The thing is that US now wants a replacement for the change for Pakistanis and for a fresh blood for its war in our tribal areas.

It’s a grave juncture, and we are living in tenacious times. Only way out from this chasm is free and fair elections, in which nation selects its own saviour without any external or internal intervention. Will judiciary play its role?