Pakistan Election 2008 is a serious business. Our present and future depends on it. There is however, a lighter and human side to it too. Soemtimes it brings smile to us and sometimes a laughter. And that lighter side is also a part of our Pakistaniat. I’ve tried to collect few such moments here.
(1) Following photo is of a celebrating ANP candidate, Mr Aqil Shah. He is seen offering sweets to his wife in Peshawar after winning the elections. The photo has such an aura of innocence and a feeling of pure happiness that I just felt like sharing it here.
(2) Pakistani jhoom uThay: Following cutting is from daily nawa-i-waqt where the reporter Abdul Shakoor couldn’t control his own joy at the election results. He has used the words ‘Pakistani jhoom uThay’ to describe the joy of overseas Pakistanis in Kuwait who were following the election results.
(3) “tu tu mein mein“.. and ….the Great Escape of Sughra begum & Shamim Bibi:
Following news item is from Jang Multan and it covers the polling process in and around Multan. I’ll let you read and enjoy the news except I want to highlight the use of phrase ‘tu tu mein mein’ and how four women who were trying to poll bogus votes managed to escape from police custody. All in a day’s work.
(4) What did Kanwal do on Election day? In case anyone was wondering . . . .
The Following cutting is from nawa-i-waqt. Under its top five show-biz news, the paper covers how Kanwal (who is she?) spent her election day. In case anyone was wondering; look no further; The ever present ‘cultural reporter’ of nawa-i-waqt was there to cover this story for us.
(5) A maali (gardener) turned Officer in Karachi
Well there is nothing wrong with the profession of gardening. It is as respectful as being an officer except a person needs to be fully trained before switching the two professions. Following news is reported by the Daily Times.
The shortage in the supply of competent polling staff was witnessed in different polling stations of the city when a gardener was made the polling officer in Karachi. He did not know his duties and could not fill the ballot papers properly. The Provincial Election Commission had assigned illegible staff to fill the ballot papers and others formalities at polling station number 40 located in the City District Government Karachi Elementary School.Presiding Officer Syed Masood Kazim Jaferi told Daily Times that to manage the shortcomings and to continue the process of elections, change in the status of the staff has been done.
(6) Grandfather losing Elections in Multan
(7) Celebration in Rawalpindi
Youth celebrating their candidate’s victory in Rawalpindi with dare-devil wheelies.
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I like the way Zardari talked today of unity as a nation.
ok, Talking about AZ and NS, they both are also big CHORS. One is Mr.10%, who will be now Mr.100% after getting the chairmanship by delivering the FAKE WILL after planning the Assasination of BB, on the other hand there is a person who launched attacks on Supreme Court and who now talks about the restoration of Judiciary, Load of Crap !!!.
Ishtiaq Ali sb asked some basic fundamental questions. I agree with him that these political leaders are infact Dictators within the parties and I am pretty sure that people of Pakistan will be fed up with the new govt. in less than a year and throw them out of the office.
The solution is to keep on having free and fair and transparent elections (Like the one we just had or better), and I am pretty sure that these THUGS would be washed out from the political arena of Pakistan, forever.
omar ali sahib… i agree sau feesad with what you say… my dua is that NS and AZ work together and kick busharraf out!
For me, the only importance of the election result is the possibility (promise?) of restorement of the pre-November 3 judiciary. If that does not materialize, it has all been an extremely expensive and vain exercise.
1. I am thrilled that Musharraf and his cronies have lost heavily in spite of extensive rigging and manipulation, but I DO NOT think all our problems have been solved. The fundamental problem in Pakistan is the fact that an unreprsentitive, unelected and UNQUALIFIED (incompetent as well as illegitimate) elite rules the country, steals its wealth and flouts the law without let or hindrance. But the country is not without vitality or talent and its people do search for ways to break the hold of this establishment and get more of a say in their own affairs. This election was a very very imperfect election,. The establishment went ahead with it because of foreign and domestic pressures and because the moron-in-chief thought he could still manipulate the process enough to stay in charge. Fortunately, large numbers of Pakistani people took this thin sliver of opportunity and turned it into a major setback for the ruling corruptocracy.
2. The big changes in this election are the victory of the ANP in Pukhtoonkhwa and the Nawaz league in Punjab . PPP actually got almost the same number of seats as they got in the last (fully rigged) 2002 election. They hold Sindh, no surprise there. They continue to have a national presence, but that is mainly a “legacy vote”. If anything, their hold in other parts of the country is slipping, not increasing. Their leadership is second-rate at best. Any party which cannot find anyone more talented than Jahangir Badar in Punjab is staring at disaster. If Zardari turns out to be a great politician, then he will make history and this will be a turnaround for the PPP, but does he have such abilities? we have not seen proof of that yet. I also believe that the PPP COULD have won much bigger if they had taken a clear anti-establishment line, but they actually wasted a lot of the BB sympathy vote by making ambiguous noises about the judiciary and about Musharraf. Their loss was Nawaz’s gain.
3. IF PPP and Nawaz League can unite against the ruling gang, then this will truly be a historic watershed and they may be remembered as the politicians who saved Pakistan . But while we can all hope for that, we cannnot be too sure that it will work out that way..
4. Musharraf and the corruptocracy he represents will UNDOUBTEDLY make an attempt to negate the clearly expressed will of the people. To do that, they have to get Zardari to play ball with them. PPP plus ANP plus MQM plus a few independents and Musharraf can have a friendly govt. in place again. That will be the last nail in the coffin of the PPP as an ideological party, but does Zardari care enough to resist the blandishments he will now be offered?
5. Restoration of the judiciary is THE litmus test. NO doubt about it. And the window of opportunity can close very fast unless we act soon. The establishment is clearer about this than we are! Musharraf is not the only possible victim of rule of law. What about every police officer and civil servant who wants to use his authority unfettered by rules or laws. What about the United States , which wants to kidnap people without due process and hold them without charge indefinitely? What about feudal lords who want to pass judgements in illegal panchayats? All these crooks are going to try and make sure the honorable CJ and the superb sixty do not return. WE must make sure they do. Right now, the establishment is off balance as it tries to arrange the next puppet government. NOW is the time to take matters in our hands and force open the entrance to the judicial colony. This is also the opportunity for people like Imran Khan and Aitzaz to make their mark instead of leaving the initiative with Zardari and the like.
6. IF the PPP and PMLN do make common cause, this will be the most mature political act in our history and the ramifications can be very positive indeed. If they fail (most likely because of betrayal by the PPP….I think Nawaz Sharif is beginning to grasp the significance of the moment and will not break that easily), even then the establishment will not be able to reestablish the status quo ante. But change may then be more anarchic and violent when it does come. Let us hope the parties are able to overcome their past habits and work together to fundamentally change the power equation in Pakistan . A lot depends on the next few days. Lets debate the options vigorously and put our best ideas forward…
Omar Ali
Thanks God everything went well specially for Waderas
Some Basic Questions
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Elections are over. I think our politicians and public keep quite during the majority of the new Governments tenure and start criticising it at the fag end of their term whereas i think that this process should start from the very begining. By adopting this policy i am raising some basic questions.
1. Why dont these parties who have won or lost elections does not hold elections within themselves.If not why they are so concerned about democracy in the country.
2.How many poor workers or workers from lower middle class were given party tickets in the recent elections.
3.What are plans to control corruption at all levels by the winning parties for instance who conduct audit/is allowed to conduct audit of the funds allocated to local bodies.
I have many more questions to ask but it all depends on response to this note
Shuj of Guj had arranged for a big catered meal to celebrate victory. When he lost, the meal was canceled. One can imagine Shujat using graphic Punjabi abuses and telling the people to get lost.
‘thapa teer no laanday ho teh khanay ethay khanday ho’ :)