By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: There was initially a lot of disappointment among the masses as the sentence of ex-PM Imran Khan was announced right before the election day. People did not want to vote for the same old faces of corruption. No doubt IK was the one who awakened the nation from it’s deep slumber in 2018 when even those of the people exercised their right to vote who had never before in their life.
There was an air of misery in the air on 8th February 2024 as the masses thought that the stage is already set by the competitors and whatever they do, their vote won’t count as the decisions were made already and results of general elections pre-decided. This thought was spread among them in such a fashion so as to stop them from casting their vote. However, the nation is not that naive any more.
Though apparently probably for a moment they thought about not voting at all but as the Capitalites in particular are an educated, elite and sophisticated lot, at the end of the day, they contemplated the entire agenda and decided to make a difference by casting their votes.
And just as the polls began, at 8.00am, the Capitaliites were right there at the polling stations, casting their votes and exercising their political right. Internet services were dismantled as mobile SIMs’ signals were off for the day till late at night. It hindered communication, media coverage and social media interaction. Though the day apparently passed by peacefully, but later on the next day, as soon as the signals were restored at 3.30am in the morning of 9th February, videos became viral in which PTI camps were being destroyed, their papers being snatched and what not. Wasn’t it enough already that the candidates were not allowed to contest the elections in the form of a regular party. Each candidate appointed by PTI was given the independent status and thus, a separate symbol ranging from eggplant to bowl, shoe, queen, peacock, cot was given. But this all even did not confuse the nation. They were focused on casting their votes.
The polling centres were made far and wide. 8300, despite being advertised to be a free helpline aimed at checking one’s polling station, was never made free. Yet, people set out and casted their votes just to make a difference. A cab driver Muhammad Aslam, went all the way to his village at Haripur, KPK, and casted his vote but as a responsible citizen, without fearing for his life, stayed outside the polling station till the vote count ended and then, handed over the document carrying vote count, along other voters, to the respective candidate so as to kill the chances of rigging whatsoever over there. Talking to The Daily Mail, the current resident of Capital since the past 25 years, Aslam stated, “We did not vote for any candidate but for IK!”
Such was the spirit of the masses. They voted not for faces, not for specific symbols but for change. Of course there were supporters of other parties too but they remained few, especially in the Capital. The poor lot was bribed by money and provided transport for reaching their villages to cast their votes in faour of a specific party and then safe return to the Capital. So of course, in most cases, they had no say there. But many refused to become puppet and refused to cast their votes at all!
Against all odds, people casted their votes but the results never came despite the polling being ended right on time, 5pm sharp. According to initial reports on electronic media, independent candidates of PTI had taken the lead from left, right and centre. Then at 2am yesterday, few hours after the polls ended, the results were withheld. Yet the Capitaliites did not sleep all night.
At 3.30a.m the signals came back. And then soon the results began to pour in at around 4a.m. in favour of the ones who didn’t stand a chance and the previously won candidates were found to be defeated by heavy margins. And all through 9th, yesterday night, the results kept on pouring in, the resut never being complete.
Was it so hard for the vote count to be calculated or was it post-poll rigging? Those who have given the votes knew of course whom they voted for. So of course we all know what happened and why and how it happened, yet no one was willing to take the blame of course!
The nation is not as naive as it was a decade or many decades ago for that matter. Whatever the results might be, we all know whom we voted for and the popularity of IK has broken all boundaries as he reigns in the hearts and souls of the masses! Masses made their decisions etched in stone.
