Pakistan Views

Polls closed in Pakistan on Monday in a crucial general election that could determine the political fate of President Pervez Musharraf, an election commission official said.

“Polling has come to an end. It was orderly and peaceful in most parts,” Election Commission Secretary Kanwar Dilshad told AFP.

President Pervez Musharraf vowed to work in a ‘totally harmonious manner’ with whoever wins key parliamentary elections as he cast his ballot in the crucial polls on Monday.
Musharraf voted in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, adjoining Islamabad, along with family members including his mother, presidential spokesman Major General Rashid Qureshi said.
“Whosoever wins the polls, as president of Pakistan I will function with them in a totally harmonious manner,” Musharraf told state television, dressed in a light blue jacket and open-necked shirt.
“Confrontational politics is damaging Pakistan we should engage in conciliatory politics which will be good for the country. I will cooperate,” he added.
Opposition leaders have vowed protests if allegations of widespread rigging are proven, but President Musharraf urged them to “accept the results gracefully.”
“Winners should show humility and the losers also should demonstrate grace. The trend of crying foul on results should end now,” he added.
“I will myself congratulate those who win. If a party wins it can bring its prime minister and if there is a hung parliament they can form a coalition.”
Musharraf’s allies, the former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q, face a tough battle against martyred opposition leader Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party and the outfit of former premier Nawaz Sharif.
Opposition parties have alleged massive vote-rigging in favour of the PML-Q. The government and election commission have denied the claims.
More than 80 million people are eligible to vote in the elections, which have been overshadowed by violence including Benazir’s martyrdom at a political rally on December 27.
Her martyrdom caused elections to be postponed from their original date of January 8.

Assistant Returning Officer for NA-41 and NA-42 has informed the Election Commissioner of Pakistan and Governor Secretariat Fata in writing about his inability to hold elections on the both constituencies on February 18, due to security reasons.
The elections against both the NA constituencies of South Waziristan should be postponed for the time being, ARO Khaista Rehman told newsmen at Wana, headquarters of SWA on Saturday. He said situation was not conducive for polls in the agency as large number of people have migrated to other areas due to the operation.
Meanwhile the election candidates including Sardar Amanuddin, former MNA Maulana Mairajuddin, Maulana Aisamuddin and other tribal elders have also opposed holding of polling on February 18 next and said that 99 percent local populace have shifted to other areas.
Malii Akhtar Gul Mehsud a member of the Peace Committee on this occasion proposed that elections on NA-41 and NA-42 should be held in the first week of July.

The interior ministry has declared ten districts of NWFP, Sindh, Balochistan and tribal areas sensitive for the world media and the observers. According to the sources, the areas which were declared sensitive by the interior ministry in its report included South Waziristan, north Waziristan, Mehmand, Bajaur Agency, Darrah Adamkhel, Swat Shangla, Lower Dir, Malakand, Hangu, Tonk besides Deira Bugti and Qilla Abdullah in Balochistan and the Kaccha areas in Sindh. This has been said in the report that the representatives visiting these areas would go there on their own risk.
The sources further told that the world media and the observers have been asked to point out the districts, three days before the elections, where they want to go.

The Elections Commission of Pakistan has advised all the presiding officers to provide certified copies of statement of the count and the ballot paper account to the candidates, their election agents or polling agents.
The spokesman of the Election Commission has drawn the attention of the presiding officers towards the provision of sub-para 11 of Section 38 of the representation of the People Act1976, which relates to the proceedings at the close of the polls.
The spokesman said, “All the presiding officers would provide certified copy of the Statement of the Count (Form-XIV) and the Ballot Paper Account (Form-XV) at the close of the poll to such of the candidates, their election agents or polling agents as maybe present at close of the poll and obtain a receipt for such copies.

The Punjab government has sought the services of Army and Rangers in a bid to provide peaceful atmosphere to the people to cast their vote without any fear or disruption, Provincial Secretary Interior Khusro Pervez Khan said on Tuesday.
Talking to private TV channel, he said, the topmost priority of the government was to provide serene atmosphere to voters and candidates alike. And in the presence of Pak Army and Rangers (on polling day) voters would feel more secure.
He said foolproof arrangements have been made to provide full protection to polling staff. Polling material would be moved to the respective polling stations in the custody of the law enforcers.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Nisar A. Memon Monday declared that the government was ready for holding transparent elections on February 18 and said elaborate security plan had been made to ensure that maximum voters exercise their right of franchise on the D-day in a peaceful and calm atmosphere.

The Federal Information Minister made these remarks at a day-long conference held under the theme of Unite for Elections in collaboration with the PID Peshawar.

The minister conducted the conference in a candid manner, with briefings by the NWFP Secretary Home Badshah Gul Wazir, Secretary Information Arbab Muhammad Arif, Provincial Election Commissioner Akhtar Hussain Sabir on the election arrangements followed by working session and group discussions. The conference ended with the recommendations of the five working groups read out by group leaders one by one.

Over 70 journalists attended the conference from the print and electronic media, owners of the newspapers, columnists and editors. Country top media managers including PIO Rashid Ahmed Chaudhry and DG PID Habibur Rehman Zakori were present on the occasion.

Explaining the rationale for holding the conference, Nisar A. Memon said, it is meant to get feedback from the intellectuals and opinion makers under specific theme Unite for Elections. Similar conferences would be held in Balochistan, Karachi and Lahore with final one at Islamabad, which is likely to be addressed by the President. The journalists played the role of a bridge between the government and the masses, he said, adding, we want to further cement it as the more stronger it would be, better would be the results
The election activities would be made part of the national transmission on the Radio and TV and extensive coverage would be made of the same by deputing the representatives of the print and electronic media at the district level.

Expressing satisfaction over the election arrangements, the Federal Minister said, the government has made foolproof security plan to ensure smooth and peaceful conduct of the polls in the light of recommendations of the today conference. The coming elections are vital for the integrity and stability of the country as it would take the country forward on the path of democracy.

The Minister highly praised the recommendations outlined during the course of the conference and said such conferences would lead to gathering of collective intelligence to further fine tune the election process.

I am really impressed by the intellectual discussions and valuable input by the participants. I am taking a very positive and useful assessment he added.

The government, he said, was committed to provision of better infrastructure and facilities necessary for fair and free elections. Concluding, he said nobody should cast doubt on the government intentions of holding elections in time and urged the media men to work for creating awareness among the people about the value and sanctity of their votes with special reference to the cause of democracy.

In his inaugural remarks at the outset of the conference, the Federal Minister said, today Pakistan was passing through an historic phase and the history was being rewritten with an elected Senate, Local Government bodies intact and elections for the National and Provincial Assemblies were on card.

The Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan Kanwar Dilshad Ahmed on Sunday that the next general elections would be held on February 18 at all costs.

Addressing a news conference after a meeting of provincial EC officials here, he said two to three thousand polling stations have been set up in non-government premises, adding the most of such polling stations are in NWFP and Balochistan.

‘It is incumbent upon the provincial governments to ensure the smoothening of law and order situation,’ he said.

He said that the requests regarding changing the election symbols and extension in last date of postal ballot issuance have been turned down.

Secretary ECP said the commission has full confidence on the electoral arrangements in all the provinces.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (r) Qazi Muhammad Farooq said on Saturday that maintaining law and order in the country is the basic responsibility of the government and if needed, the army will also be posted in sensitive areas.

Addressing a DROs workshop here, he said that following the tumultuous and chaotic conditions after December 27, ECP had no other option than delay the elections.

Qazi Farooq said that arrangements for holding the elections on February 18 would be finalized at the workshop.

Talking to the journalists on the occasion, CEC said the turnout in elections would not be affected by the boycott of All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM).

Addressing the workshop, Secretary ECP Kanwar Dilshad said the damage suffered by electoral process in the wake of violence which erupted on the murder of Benazir Bhutto has been compensated.

President Pervez Musharraf will seek support from the European Union and Nato on Monday at the start of a four-country trip to Europe where he is also expected to face tough questions over his rule.

President Musharraf, whose popularity at home has slumped over recent months, leaves a country racked by militant attacks and on edge over prospects for a parliamentary election on Feb. 18 that is meant to complete a transition to civilian rule.

Speaking to representatives of Belgium’s Pakistani community on the eve of the formal part of his Brussels visit, Musharraf vowed on Sunday that the election would be democratic, and said the goal of his trip was “correcting perspectives” in Europe.

“There will be free and transparent elections,” he pledged at the meeting in a Brussels hotel, lauding what he said were improvements in the economy and security under his rule.

Ahead of the trip, former foreign secretary Tanvir Ahmed Khan said he expected Musharraf to seek to impress on Europeans that he was Pakistan’s best hope of stability.

“He’s trying to establish his credentials with the key Western powers with the same old message: that he’s indispensable, they don’t have a better friend than him, without him the war on terror would unravel and Pakistan’s economic progress would collapse,” Khan said.

Musharraf will meet Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Nato Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in Brussels.

He will go on to Paris to meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy and then attend the World Economic Forum in Switzerland before talks in London with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

While Musharraf may get the backing he seeks from European leaders, the former army chief who seized power in a 1999 coup can also expect them to tell him that he must do more to promote democracy and curb the activity of militants.

On Saturday Spanish police arrested 14 South Asians, among them 12 Pakistanis, on suspicion they may have been plotting attacks in Barcelona. The arrests came after police found explosives and other equipment during raids at five addresses.

Asked to comment on the developments in Spain. Musharraf said:

“This is not good for Pakistan, this is not good for Islam.”