Fakhru
Baba and Forty Thieves
Faaiz
Amir
There is widespread resentment and protest over hijacking of
people's mandate. In large part it is justified. Polling over two lac votes in
some constituencies, casting more than 100% votes in a significant number of
polling stations, obstructing polling process in some more constituencies and
large scale illegal stamping of ballot papers indicate these elections were far
from free and fair exercise, something which we all had yearned for. We have
been denied the satisfaction and pleasure of being a proud nation that could
boast of history making through its choices. The irony of the matter is that
robber barons carried flags of all hues and shades. Some parties reaped richer
harvest; others executed thieving on a few selected seats. Crimes were
committed at individual and collective levels. Some teams were better organised
in electoral process management, while others had yet to learn many tricks of
the trade. Fakhru baba and forty chors had a field day. He rejoiced in his
hallucinations of holding free, fair and transparent elections while the forty
thieves went shouting all the way, “open Sesame, open Sesame, open
Sesame”.
These robber barons had the misplaced confidence that crying
hoarse over larcenies perpetrated by others would mask their own misdeeds. Only
we were to be blamed because we have been lulled into taking all this and more
taking lying down (pardon the pun). Even when we came out in 1977 we were being
manipulated. When we protested we just did that. Revenge and not solutions was
written large on banners and posters we carried. This time around it sounds and
smells no different. Political leadership is creating distractions here and
there for the people to lose focus and direction. Forty thieves wish to harvest
their heist while Fakhru baba snapped in and out of his siesta.
Let’s put boiling oil in their jars slowly and gradually. Take
them out one by one. Not physically eliminate them but get rid of these
larcenists through means legal and fair. Allow all of them to sit in the
Parliament and form the government. Let business of the State continue and let
life move on in a normalized manner. But that is not where it ends.
Let them in. Let them enjoy the ambiance, the protocol and perks
and privileges; with only one proviso. Election Commission should do organised
and systematic thumb checking on all, save none, polled votes in each
constituency. This could take say six months, say one year. We have spent
billions on these elections, we could spend couple of hundreds of millions
more. We have waited for years to vote we can wait six more months for genuine
results.
Each ballot paper had two parts. One was the vote and the other
the counterfoil that was retained in the ballot book. Every counterfoil should
have on it the thumb impression of the voter who came to exercise his right to
choose. So it is a long haul but so what, it is required. It is not impossible.
NADRA can do it. Show the thumb. Angootha challao k baad Angootha dekhao.
Start from NA-1 and go all the way to NA-272. Purge the votes,
honestly and dispassionately. All votes that do have the correct thumb imprint
on it goes in the trashcan. Purge them ruthlessly, no favours asked none given.
The nation demands it and deserves it. ECP owes it to the people. As and when
purged counting on a seat is given announce the results and effect the change,
if required.
Do it slowly but surely. Let the swords hang over their heads.
Slowly and gradually, one by one, one after the other throw them out of the
Assembly. Let the courts decide whether to send them to jail or give them a
‘get out of jail free ticket’. We will be rightly proud of the representatives
who survived the test.
Fakhru baba, snap out please. You can do it. You would enjoy your
nap after giving us the pleasure of taking pride in you. And promise we will
not disturb you. We will stop making noise. Promise.
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