STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan
The anger is palpable and frustrations are overflowing. Last few days have been a roller coaster ride. As you disembark it takes a while to get your bearings back. As the enormity of this deception and fraud sinks in, serious doubts arise about the sanity and recklessness of this ruling Junta. We are back in 1971. One can summarize East Pakistan’s debacle by stating that it occurred due todisenfranchisement of our Bengali brethren. They voted for Awami League and gave it the majority to form a Government. That mandate was denied. It led to civil war that resulted in Pakistan being truncated. We are back in the same position.
The culprits of that debacle were army generals and their partners in crime, greedy and ambitious politicians. The same has been repeated on February 8th. Our misfortune is that we don’t learn from history. Our myopic army generals live for today without recognizing the consequences of their massive misdeeds. They have partnered with crooks who come to Pakistan to loot and plunder and then melt away into their safe havens abroad. This is not 1971 when the perpetuators’ thuggery wasveiled through censorship and news blackout. This is 2024, the age of social media that exposes crimes within minutes.
The people of Pakistan have spoken. All the doubts about Punjabis have proven wrong. They are loyal to the vision of IK; they proved their reliability by showing in unprecedented numbers and were strategic in their resistance. The polling was mostly peaceful. Despiteimpediments created for PTI polling agents, the voters were able to cast their votes. For the most part dedicated PTI supporters were able to obtain signed voting results on form 45. The criminal activity started after poll closure when results started to pour in and announcements were made on the media. As I have stated previously, this election is not PTI versus PML(N), PPP and their lackeys. It is a contest of will power between the army chief and IK.
My sources inform me that as the results began to emerge the election cell in GHQ went into over drive. PTI was in the lead to gain a clear majority nationally and in Punjab and KP. The army big wigs hunkered down and decided to pull all the plugs to steal the elections. Hiding behind their coat-tails were PML(N) and PPP. Voters had shown their resolve to make IK the victor. These submissive crooks wet their pants and quickly fell in line to enable the biggest robbery ever witnessed in Pakistani politics.
By midnight Pakistan time, the election results completely stopped and their heinous activities started in full swing. ECP, clearly the biggest pawn, gave stupid reasons for the delay. He prohibited the election officials from issuing form 46 that records all the ballot papers that were unutilized. Knowing the incompetence of these “bloody civilians,”army officers and Jawans took up the cudgels and stepped in to stuff the ballot boxes. Multiple videos are making rounds on social media confirming this highwayrobbery.
To give an example Nawaz Sharif contested from two seats; Mansehra and Lahore. He was losing on both. They did not bother with Mansehra. In Lahore the biggest fraud was perpetuated. Dr. Yasmeen Rashid, PTI candidate jailed since May 2023, was beating Nawaz Sharif by a huge margin. After delaying the results overnight Nawaz was declared a winner by a 100,000 votes. This was done all over the country, especially in Punjab. Clear winners like Chaudhry Pervez Ellahi, his wife Qaisera Ellahi, Raja Basharat, Major Tahir Sadiq, Rehana Dar, Salman Akram Raja and scores of other winners were deprived of their legitimate victories.
PTI was enroute to win 179 seats in the national assembly.In the results announced by ECP their number has beenreduced drastically. Such extensive rigging fraud was led by those who claim to be our protectors. Pakistan has been invaded by our own army. It was appropriately stated in Anwar Maqsood’s prayer “ Allah defend us from our own defenders”. It is the most unfortunate moment in our history. Our sacred institution, our army’s command and control has fallen into the hands of demons. Our nations’ very foundations are under attack.
Any goodwill remaining for our protectors has been eroded both amongst the masses and the international community. Leading international media organizations are ridiculing this farce called elections. Army’s closest allies in US State Department have begun to distance themselves. They have lost all moral grounds or legitimacy. What do they have to offer? An incoherent speech by this imbecile named Nawaz Sharif claiming victory and inviting all to join him to cobble together a unity government.
Despite this massive rigging PTI is still the biggest group. They cannot commit political suicide by sanctifying this murder of democracy. This is just the first innings in a test match series. We can draw comfort from this exercise that Pakistani voters and Prisoner 804 are entirely aligned and on one page. The “smart” planners in Aabpara in GHQ maybe able to put together a tottering regime we can call PDM 2. The results will be worse than the disastrous PDM 1. Economic realities will catch up very soon. NS’s wizard Ishaq Dar will sink us. PTI and its supporters will neither give in or give–up. They have come to recognize the power of their vote. Allah’s blessings and popular will shall prevail despite all odds. Pakistanis don’t despair.
