Anees Taker
MARDAN: Former Federal Minister and central leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Nawabzada Khawaja Mohammad Khan, shows his concerns over the transparency of elections held on 8th February.
He expressed dismay over the manipulation of hundreds and thousands of votes, with candidates winning national seats despite polling stations being devoid of voters.
Khawaja Mohammad Khan cited instances where one candidate would win in the evening, only for another to emerge victorious by morning, undermining the integrity of the electoral process. He warned that such elections could spell economic disaster for the region. Referring to the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khawaja Mohammad Khan urged authorities to refrain from experimenting with different political parties, emphasizing the need for stability at the federal level.
Former Federal Minister noted that a coalition government comprising various parties, including the Pakistan Muslim League-N, Pakistan People’s Party, and others, had failed to sustain for more than 16 months at the center. Highlighting the low voter turnout in areas like Lahore and Karachi compared to Mardan, he questioned whether voters in Mardan had also cast their votes.
Khawaja Mohammad Khan underscored the need for transparent elections, suggesting that a victory for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf would have been acceptable had the elections been fair. He called on senior politicians to reconsider their participation in elections, warning against turning elections into mere spectacles. Concluding his address, he advocated for the formation of a federation where all provinces and communities are represented equally.
However, he expressed doubts about the feasibility of such a vision, fearing that concentrating power in the hands of one community would only worsen the country’s situation. He appealed to the Army Chief to conduct a transparent inquiry into electoral irregularities and to punish those involved.
