Every single person I am acquainted with has had his or her say on twitter, facebook etc on elections in Pakistan. In the last few years I have developed views on religion and politics that will not appeal to most. I have lived in an extremely intolerant, conservative society for much of my life and I continue to do so. So yes, call me a hypocrite but I intend to remain publicly silent about how I think.
Amidst this election fever, I felt this constant itch to express myself somewhere. So I decided to use this blog.
Our nation, especially our educated elite, have still a long way to go in adapting to democracy. Everyone claims to know more than the other while not respecting the other's right to choose.
I did not vote. It might not be the "right" thing to do but its a choice I made. For me none of the mainstream parties deserved my vote.
I will start with the "ballay wali party", adjudged to be a savior of Pakistan by many upper-middle class, educated Pakistanis. Imran Khan epitomizes a typical well-to do Pakistani, who claims to be an "enlightened" muslim. He dare not separate state and religion. This is blatantly illustrated in Imran's disregard for Ahmadis during his campaign. Yes he may not use religion the way Mullahs of JUI or JI do but he remains nowhere close to secular ideals either. Where does that leave agnostics and atheists in a society where leaving the circle of Islam can result in death?
I agree with so-called pseudo liberals and a typical secular PPP supporter when they brand Imran as a Taliban apologist. The Taliban problem runs deeper than a retaliation against Drone Attacks. Yes Drone Attacks need to stop. We need to rid ourselves of "Imperial" influence". "Pak Fauj" has to be dis-empowered and depoliticized. But still the "Taliban" problem will remain prevalent. These imperial creations have evolved and are deeply knitted in our society with massive cache of arms. These can only be erased via force. I do not deem negotiations with them an effective method as for these imperial creations a liberal way of life is just not acceptable. And such force needs to be imposed by the state using the military machinery merely as a machine, nothing more.
"Teer's" manifesto reads well. It claims to inculcate socialist ideas. But where were their leftist, secularist ideals when they constitutionally labeled Ahmadis as non-muslims. With their so-called strive to achieve a welfare socialist economy they still managed to turn it into one that's addicted to a drug called IMF. Kudos to PPP. You sure are a true left-liberal socialist party but sadly you do not deserve my vote!
Nawaz League, yet another product of the brilliant Zia rule. Sharif sahiban have been brilliant at continuing to run the country dry with their business acumen. Their ambitious projects, largely undertaken to fill their already massive bellies, might have helped the masses to a certain degree. But we fail to remember how certain members of the party exploited their positions of power for financial interests, dishonored the same judiciary they supported in the lawyers movement and all this coupled with undying support for LeTs and continuation of the Wahabisation struggle initiated by their own creator.
Despite all this, I still feel "Jamhuriat" has arrived and is here to stay. Last five years might not have gone well for Pakistanis but looking at the bigger picture, I feel that a nation, created for imperial reasons, has come a long way. Last five years have seen independence of judiciary and election commission and a freer media, though all three are extremely flawed and have their own selfish interests but the entire political power no longer seems to be centered on one.
