GE 2013: Winner's And Loser's

                                                    GE 2013: Winner's And The Loser's

It's truly remarkable and heartening to see million's of Pakistani's against all odds, coming out of their home's and voting for a better Pakistan. Despite the fact there were all sorts of rumours and theories that TTP might sabotage these GE with a series of bombing attacks in different parts of Pakistan and they may even target the leadership of different parties, leading to  Poll delay. But full marks to parties Leadership who stood the test, especially ANP must be credited, numerous attacks on their leadership and close to 63  workers were  martyred  but they refused to bow down to terrorist threats. At the same time people of Pakistan need a standing aviation for their resounding bravery and commitment to Democracy, they came out and voted for their future. Having said all this, lets find out the winner's and loser's of GE 2013.

                                            Winners

                                                            1) Nawaz Sharif PMLN

                                                            

                                                            2) Imran Khan PTI

            

                                            Losers

                                                            1) Pakistan Peoples Party And Allies

                                                            2) Pakistan Media

Winners

                1) PMLN.  Nawaz Sharif PMLN  has literally  stunned many pundits sitting in their cosy drawing rooms and air-conditioned studios, it seemed PMLN had that connection at gross root level while all the pundits and elite remained disconnected, which in my opinion led to their historic success, infect giving them simple majority, which coincidentally taken last time by PMLN in 1997 GE, no other party could claim the same feat, even the might of Dictator Mushraf wasn't able to win simple majority for his pawns PMLQ in 2002 GE. I kept on repeating in my previous reads that PMLN is all set to regain its lost glory, my opinion was based upon my experience working in periphery and interacting with people from different

                                                       Nawaz Sharif Victory Speech

constituencies and majority won by PMLQ and PPP in last GE. As I always maintained that these GE will be performance based in Punjab and rhetoric's wouldn't work here. PMLN was fortunate enough that they had Shahbaz Sharif at the helm of affairs and he very wisely whithered Imran Khan post 30 October onslaught. Did some astonishing work in Punjab in all fields and targeting the youth as well, leading to broadening of PMLN vote base in addition to traditional Muslim League moderate right wing vote base that in the end proved enough. Nawaz Sharif towering personality and statesman like attitude helped PMLN as well, who reached out to disgruntled PMLN voters and lured them back. Nawaz Sharif resisted the Mantra of so called pundits that NS playing a role of friendly opposition is going to cost PMLN drearily and a defeat in GE but Nawaz Sharif trust in political wisdom of people and his commitment to Democracy paid off. If you look closely in Punjab its not PTI who performed badly rather its PMLN who performed exceptionally well, they out manoeuvred and out smarted their opponents through its performance in Punjab that played a pivotal role in thumbing victory.

              2) Imran Khan PTI. One must give credit and huge applause to Imran Khan PTI to emerge as a force in this GE, infect in terms of votes becoming the second largest party after PMLN and missing by few seats to PPP becoming the second largest party in terms of NA seats. Imran Khan PTI tsunami hit KPK and was able to win more seats than any other party, though failing to get simple majority but PMLN respecting PTI mandate and asking PTI to form the Government in KPK. Imran Khan was able to bring out that crowd which never voted before in Pakistan and gave them hope of a Naya Pakistan. He was able to energise the disgruntled youth but the real challenge begins now. Imran Khan and support base need to act responsibly because it was a race between two parties and at the end of the day, one party came out clean winner. Now allegations of rigging and stealing their mandate must end, yes we agree youth is disappointed they wanted to win desperately but they must understand there are millions who voted against them. PTI should immediately form Government in KPK and start performing as this GE proved that next GE will be even more Performance  and Party based, if PMLN failed, PTI is surely a Government in waiting but if PTI failed on its commitments made by Imran Khan during his Election campaign, PTI wouldn't get a second chance.

                                              Imran Khan Video Message After GE

Losers

            1) Pakistan Peoples Party And Allies PPP deserve no mercy and very rightly people of Pakistan have shown no mercy as well, litrely wiping them out in three Provinces and restricted them to Interior Sindh. Some might argue that worst happened to PPP in 1997 GE but PPP  was able to rejuvenate, came back strongly in 2002 GE and able to form Government in 2007-08 GE. We must understand, PPP was blessed with Mohtarama Benazir's towering personality, she provided the leadership and  her tragic assassination in 2007-08 GE  led PPP to victory. With leadership crisis and support base shifting  to Imran Khan it looked very bleak indeed for PPP. Their victory in Sindh, is not because of PPP performance but Sindhi's eternal love to Bhutto's and secondly Media failed again to portray the huge achievement of PML-F, which for the first time after a long time posed a challenge to PPP and in many constituencies went neck to neck and PPP vote bank suffered a jolt , it was not a smooth sailing after all. Similarly ANP being wiped out of KPK by PTI but as a neutral  observer we must accept that ANP went into GE with their hands tied down, threats of bombings, killings of their workers, still fought bravely and accepted their defeat like honourable men as well. MQM challenged by PTI and other forces in Karachi, it is very likely, if they do not perform, will be eliminated in next GE  because people of Karachi look to be fed up with nonsense and in PTI they too have  an alternative. Again PTI emerged as the second largest party of Karachi in terms of votes. It is very clear if PPP and MQM do not mend their ways its looks they have their last term in office.

                                                In Hospital After Brother's Assassination

          2) Pakistan Media Finally Electronic Media suffered a set back and credibility crisis. Their assessment of PTI eating up PMLN vote base leading to a hung Parliament, few even made people to believe that PTI tsunami was ready to wipe out PMLN and Imran Khan was all set to lead the Nation. Few were of the opinion that PTI is going to eat away PMLN vote bank and bring Zardari Regime back. There is nothing wrong to make pre-election assessment but what is disappointing, the way they tried to impose it, were completely disconnected at gross root level. They romanticism with PTI reached the limits in the last few weeks of GE campaign it was a one way traffic in PTI favour, Even that unfortunate incident Imran Khan suffered just before GE, was dipicted as a tragedy and tried to creat a sympathy wave in PTIs favour. Let me quote an example here,   "Four suited Booted Analyst sitting in an Air Conditioned Studio talking to their Faislabad Bureuo Chief, asking him about party position there: Bureau Chief replied that PMLN was a clear winner  on six seats while on four NA seats there was a competition between PMLN and PPP, PMLQ alliance: Analyst sitting in Studio, you are talking nonsense, I just talked to my sources on phone, they all  said PTI was going to clean sweep from there".

Similarly the International surveys were ridiculed in Social  and Electronic Media by many and declaring them Raiwind Based. Last survey just before the Election carried out by "Gallup"  depicted PMLN a clear winner. According to survey PMLN will win 114-115 seats, PTI 25-30 seats, PPP 40-45 but unfortunately 'Gillani" sahib head of Gallup was declared pro PMLN by many and Media  rejected the surveys out rightly, which by the way proved very accurate in the end with the exception  of PPP getting less seats.

                                                    PMLN worker's celebrating victory

Now GE are over and people of Pakistan gave their verdict loud and clear, European Union Observer's, American Overseer's and close to ten other International Observer's plus HRCP declaring these GE historic and cleanest in Pakistan history with few glitches at local level and in Karachi where people were denied their rights's at many places. But what can you say about those who in PMLN hatred have gone too far and are bent upon  to declare these GE rigged and result of NRO 2 between PMLN,  and International Establishment. Some are twisting fact's that how come Mian Nawaz Sharif declared himself winner in mid night "victory speech", while result's were still coming, for those ignorant souls it was almost done and dusted affair by mid night, PMLN was comfortably ahead on more than 100 plus seats and close contest was going, on 15-20 seats where PMLN was leading as well. For Example in Gujranawala Division PMLN won by 8 PM, had grabbed all seats except Pervaiz Ellahi constituency where a close contest was going on, otherwise PMLN was leading by thousands and thousands of votes. Similarly few declared that recounting means rigging , how naive they are because recounting is part of  every GE where victory margins are very thin but it doesn't help where defeat is huge.

Now responsibility rest on Imran Khan to guide this youth and accept these results gracefully and act like a responsible opposition because they had unprecedented success, if they have any  reservation's on some seats, take constitutional course because after 18th amendment the system has become very transparent and quick justice is ensured. PTI and Imran Khan must get out of "Balla, Phanta" mode and start acting responsibly because people of KPK  have  put their trust in his wisdom and abilities, he must focus on Uniform Education system in KPK, End corruption in 90 days, Local Body System, step towards ending Drone strikes etc as he promised  in his pre-election campaign. Finally Imran Khan must restrain his youth, who were running campaign against their opponents on Social Media through fake accounts,  articles and even fake videos regarding rigged Polls in Punjab.

                                                  PTI Lahore Dharna On alleged Rigging

Media must take it as a learning curve and should not act as King Maker, rather put things in perspective and provide level playing field to every one because they kept on harping for five years that Dannish School, Metro, lap top's, hospital's, colleges, Schools, Education Endowment Fund, Infrastructure, Model Police Station, Computerised Land Reforms, Computerised Education System and Criminally neglecting reforms in Primary School System, Sasti Roti, Ujala Scheme, Computerised labs, running Punajb with few Ministries, Ashiana Housing, Distribution of five marla plots, Giving rights to Kachi Abadi's etc do not matter but in the end people gave their verdict that these things do matter.