Today is 12th May 2013. Pakistan voted yesterday
but more importantly Pakistan cared yesterday. I am now 26 years old and I have
seen an Army dictator, a PPP government corrupt, beyond belief and Allah
willing I am about to witness a PML N government with a pretty heavy mandate. I
am not a very political person and I do not like debates. I did not post a
single political message on my Facebook before today. I did not comment on or
like a single political message on Facebook before today. I did go to vote and
have been debating whether to write this since this morning.
I was undecided who to vote for even till the morning of the
elections. I was oscillating between PTI and PML N. I do not wish to go into
the reasons but lets just say I am not an inherently ‘jazbati’ person and I do
not expect angels out of politicians and I respect the right of people to
change their views over time, mature and learn from their mistakes. I do not
see things in black and white and I like personal experience to dictate my choices
whatever that may entail.
So to sum up my political views; I do not like Pervaiz
Musharraf but I do not hate the man either. Compare him to the last PPP
government and he starts to look pretty decent. However, the way he came into
power was simply unacceptable and if he is hanged to make an example out of him
I will not be too sad. I hate PPP and I hope they are completely wiped out of
the country. As you can see a pretty balanced set of values I have there.
By now you are curious whom I voted for. I stumped for the
BAT. Not because I was swept away by the tsunami but because Hamid Khan the PTI
candidate is a much more decent man than Saad Rafique. But my choice was only
slightly tilted towards PTI because I was genuinely afraid that voting for PTI
would cause a clean split between the 3 parties and PPP will somehow maneuver
itself back into the government. Boy was I glad that I voted for PTI because
what happened next was just sickening.
Lets start at the beginning. I went to vote around 9:30 with
my younger brother who was all giddy at the thought of change and Naya Pakistan
and who was going to vote for the first time. We had no problem voting and were
in and out in the sum total of 15 minutes and that too because he was very
careful with his stamp and gave it a good minute and a half to dry so that it
would not smudge and make his vote void. Five people from my house voted for
PTI and my personal (eye-witness) experience was that at my polling station PTI
was winning 80-20. I went to the polling station again around 12 with my friend
and we found out that (visibly) PTI supporters were having issues entering the
polling station. We stayed for 15 minutes and it was clear that something weird
was happening because a lot of unhappy people were outside and PTI workers were
trying to sort something out. One conversation I overheard myself from a PTI
worker on the phone was “Sir kuch karein, Families vote dalay beghair wapis ja
rahi hain” meaning “Sir, Please do something. Families are going back without
casting their votes.” Another bystander narrated his story to my friend and me
personally that he had been shuttling between two polling stations all morning
and still been unable to cast his vote despite the official ECP message saying
his vote was registered at my polling station. Anyways we left there and went
to Z block defense just to experience the atmosphere somewhere else. Again the
over riding feeling was that PTI supporters were outnumbering others about
70-30. Keep in mind that the supporters not visibly PTI could also be voting
for PTI.
I went for asr prayers to my Mosque at 5:15 p.m. The Mosque
is right opposite the polling station (Al-Munir Education Center). I came out
around 5:30 p.m. and there was a huge commotion because despite repeated requests
from the public the polling station had been closed. I knew from the news at
home that polling time had been extended to 6 p.m. across Pakistan. While I
stood there PTI supporters came with police officers and the gate was opened. I
was still standing there when PML N supporters came with Muhafiz force and the
polling station was tried to close again. I left and did not witness what
happened next but I should venture that at least 30 minutes were wasted during
all of this and a number of people left without voting.
Later at home news started coming in that Saad Rafique was
involved in a huge incident at another polling station (S Block). That is the
point where I felt relieved because I would have been gutted had I voted for a
man with such behavior. I am certain that there was extreme rigging in NA 125
because I witnessed it personally. I do not wish to comment on others but here
it is true. What really set by blood boiling was Saad Rafique on live
television calm and serene denying everything with a face so straight you
wouldn’t believe. I hope he is disqualified and he never runs in an election
again but his confidence on live TV was tantamount to taunting as if he was
saying. “Here I am. What can you do?”
I should add here that all of PML N is not Saad Rafique and
to judge them on a single persons behavior would be unwise but I am not a
supporter any more. The only way they get their respect back from me is if Saad
Rafique and anyone else who is found to be involved with rigging is thrown out
of the party. I can already hear the Jiyalas saying all of PML N would be
thrown out that way but I have to respectfully disagree. A few sane PTI
followers have pointed out that PTI did not expect to win from Sialkot,
Gujranwala etc which means, that PML N still enjoys a heavy public mandate.
Lets say they rigged 10 seats and all of them go to PTI. Doesn’t really change
anything to be honest. In fact I’d rather that PML N has no excuses come next
elections because like I said I am not a tsunami believer but I did see PPP
completely disowned even by the jiayalas after their 5 year performance so
there is hope and a lot of it. This is national politics; it cannot proceed at
the speed of a 20-20 match.
For an hour or so I did lose hope. People like Saad Rafique
can get away with anything? Is this the country we live in? But there is a
protest going on in Defense, Lahore as we speak. The youth of this country is
alive now. The only thing I wish to emphasize is that the revolution has
started and if we stay the course a new Pakistan will emerge but if the dirty
politicians outlast us and we go back to our online gaming and facebook then we
have no one but ourselves to blame.
And the change should not be limited to politics and dancing
on streets and blaring loud songs out of the back of your car. If you still
cheat in your next exam then you do not believe in the Naya Pakistan. If you
still violate the traffic signals then you do not believe in the Naya Pakistan.
If you abuse Punjabis because they did not vote for PTI then you do not believe
in the Naya Pakistan. Imran Khan has given us hope and given us a vision. That
vision should not be limited to the corridors of politics and our speeches.
That vision should have a physical manifestation in our lives because we are the
next generation and if we stay the course and really believe in change then the
corrupt polling officer will retire and the corrupt politician will pass on but
we will still be here and we will make it happen.
So stop the judgment and the abuse and stop believing that
anyone who did not vote for PTI is not smart enough. I know reasonable and
well-educated people who voted for PML N. I almost voted for PML N. KPK voted
for PTI so lets just burn the education argument right there. But like I said I
tend to learn from my own experiences and so do other people. Let us see what
PML N brings to the table and let us genuinely pray that they take the country
in a positive direction. After PPP I do not think that is a very difficult
task. It’s not all black and white. Change is already here because they were
scared and they know beyond the shadow of a doubt that if they mess this up we
have an alternative ready to take over.
PTI is the second most popular party in the country. It is a
truly national party and it went toe to toe with MQM in Karachi. I must admit
that was one of my major differences with Khan that he did not say anything to
MQM but actions, speak louder than words. I do not believe that PTI is perfect
and anyone who does will eventually be disappointed but I do believe that they
now offer the best future to our country.
Imran Khan is not going anywhere and lets make sure that
neither are we. Lets not sling mud and wallow. Lets start campaigning from
today so that the next time elections come around we have that many more votes.
I for my part will tell anyone who would listen that Saad Rafique is a thug and
a low life and I am proud that I did not vote for him.
And yes if I suddenly disappear then it was still MQM :D
