Free, Fair Elections To Strengthen Democracy In Pakistan : Analysts

Islamabad, May 12, IRNA – Pakistani analysts on Saturday said that holding of free and fair elections would strengthen democracy in Pakistan. Talking to IRNA separately they said that change in any country should be brought through elections. This is for the first time in Pakistan’s 65-year history that transfer of power to next elected government would take place after completion of tenure of one democratically elected government. Analyst and former diplomat Rustam Shah Mohmand told IRNA that every one should expect good from the outcome of elections. However, he said that no party would win a simple majority of the seats. He said that it is necessary that a single party would form a government so that Pakistan could pursue independent policies. The analyst said that Pakistan is a fragmented society and it is difficult to say that which party would form the next government. He said that rivalry between Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the province of Punjab has made Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) strong. Expressing his views the analyst said that he would be expecting better turnout during the election especially in the urban areas. “There would be 60 to 65 percent turnout in the elections,” he said. Pakistani defense analyst Dr. Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema, expressing views said that Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has tried its level best to hold free and fair elections. However, he said that arrangements for the election can be made better. The dean of the faculty of Contemporary Studies at the National Defense University (NDU) was of the view that by and large elections are transparent. He added that turnout would be high in cities and in rural areas it would be low. The analyst said poor law and order situation in some areas would also affect the turnout. A senior Pakistani journalist Muhammad Saleh Zafar speaking to IRNA said that caretaker government has failed to take proper measures to hold a peaceful election. The journalist said that Pakistani urban areas would experience high turnout. He said that it is good to see that democracy is progressing in Pakistan and the elections are being held on time. Saleh Zafar added that Pakistan is passing through a delicate phase of its history. He was of the opinion that no party would get simple majority in the election. “But one should hope that a single party would form the next government for the better future of Pakistan,” he said./end