The PPPP Mandate

The PPP regime which is in fact NOT the PPP but the PPPP (Parliamentarians) regime - remember? the PPP did not take part in the general elections of 2008 - is never tired of haranguing about the 5 year mandate given to it by the hundred seventy million people (satra karor awaam). Surprisingly, they are not the only one to make this tall claim but every other political party declares so, as if Pakistan’s population is not hundred and seventy million but hundred seventy billions!! However, even a cursory look at the statistics issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan for the February 2008 NA elections will refute their such claim, which are:

Registered Votes:  80133991, Total Votes Polled: 34980069, Valid Votes: 34113398, Rejected Votes: 940582, Turn Out Total Votes Polled:  43.65 % . 

Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians won 93 seats and polled  6293701 votes or just 7.85 percent of the Registered Voters and a mere 3.70 percent of the estimated population (170 million) then.

In other words 96.30 percent of the population numbering around 163.7 million people did not vote for the PPPP.

What a mandate and what a claim?!

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)