Change is in the air in Pakistan

Elections in Pakistan never invigorated me enough to vote. Residing in a foreign land didn’t help motivate myself either, because no one bothered to facilitate the process for expatriates. Even if I had been allowed to vote, I doubt whether I would have done so — before 2013.

But this year, for the first time since I turned 18, I felt cheated. Despite having a green passport, I was left out in the cold because no one bothered to start the process required to be put in place for expatriate voters.

And vote I certainly wanted to, this time around.

Was it just the charisma of a man who had led Pakistan to win its only cricket World Cup? Articulate or not, cricketer-turned-politician, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s chairman Imran Khan was earnest when he spoke about giving a “new Pakistan”. So yes, his tenacity certainly did make me want to believe every word that he uttered.

Then there was the exuberant youth of Pakistan, usually lacking in zest and fervour when it came to the politics of the country. For the first time, they were charged, enthusiastic and hopeful. They went all out to promote Imran’s cause on social media — and with (mostly) sensible thoughts and firm opinions. But not because he had a personality that captivated them, but because they truly believed that he would bring about the change that their country desperately needed.

This positivity resonated well with thousands of Pakistanis, age, creed and ethnicity no bar. And they all agreed between themselves that there had to be change and that they could make a difference with their votes. A new progressive Pakistan was in the offering, where there would be justice and equality for all.

The election results, however, revealed a different ground reality than what one had envisioned. But let’s not indulge in a debate on how fair the polls were, who rigged which constituencies and why people all over the country spent hours in queues on election day, only to come back and ask, where did my vote go?

The truth is that it is now up to the new administration, presided over by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), to follow through with its promises. The people of Pakistan expect no less than maturity, fair governance and an improved performance from PML-N chairman Nawaz Sharif, who has led the country twice before. Hopefully, the new government will not disappoint its people.

And if it is change that Pakistanis were looking for, the fact that there was a massive voter turnout was proof of change.

For Pakistanis, the cause was to bring positive change in the country. And as we know, change is a slow process. It must begin within ourselves, as we free our hearts and minds of prejudices and divisiveness. The way I see it, we are closer to getting there now than we were even a few weeks ago.

After the elections, those who came out on the streets of Pakistan to protest against poll rigging did so not because of their political affiliations, religion, ethnicity or upbringing and social strata. And in Karachi, contrary to what the media reported, it was not about just one constituency, where the elite of the city happened to be voting. There was now a democratic process put in place in the country and these protests were a part of just that — being able to raise one’s voice. For once, people came together, not to talk about their personal issues generally based on ethnic divisions. Those present at the protest meets were all talking about Pakistan and how rigging had deprived them of their right to choose their leader.

And actually, if a majority of those who came out to protest belonged to the educated masses or even better — the elite class — well, kudos to them. Finally, the silent majority has decided to stand up and be counted. In the past, young men and women, educated in the West or at institutions in Pakistan that have an elitist reputation, never seemed to have cared about what was happening in their country.

Yet, suddenly there are thousands of them, smart and knowledgeable, able to see through the dynamics of the country. Their eloquence and passion for the country’s good can beat anyone hands down, no matter how Utopian (or immature) their visions might be. I, for one, think this is absolutely great for the creation of a “new” Pakistan.

The outcome of these protests was not re-election in all of Karachi, as was the initial demand of PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami, or even re-polling in all the polling stations of the NA-250 constituency, as was demanded by Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). But the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) did concede to claims of mismanagement in 43 polling stations of the said constituency — thanks to the efforts of television channels, social media and people who were fearless in providing eyewitness accounts of voting-day discrepancies.

Last Sunday, the ECP held re-polling in the 43 polling stations that it had identified. My friends voting in that constituency told me that this time around, the voting procedure was well-organised and security beefed up.

The voter turnout, however, was quite low — less than 38 per cent — according to the ECP, but let us not take that as a sign of the youth being disheartened or unwilling to participate in a contest that was boycotted by both Pakistan Peoples Party and MQM, the other main contender of this seat besides PTI.

The reason might have been an atmosphere of fear and tension — a feeling that was also prevalent on election day on May 11. It was aggravated because on the eve of the re-polls, Zahra Shahid Hussain, vice-president of PTI’s Sindh chapter, was brutally murdered outside her Karachi home. It remains unclear whether her death was a botched-up street crime or if there was indeed a threatening message attached to this high-profile killing, But immediately after her murder (she was called an advocate of peace by many), began a hostile, finger-pointing match, with Imran holding MQM chief Altaf Hussain responsible for her death by inciting his party supporters to indulge in violence.

However, the low turnout in re-polls cannot be used to question how meaningful the re-polls were.

People-power reigned supreme, vindicating those who had cried themselves hoarse after May 11, insisting that they had all voted for PTI and that their candidate should have won.

PTI candidate Dr Arif Alvi did indeed win the NA 250 seat with a very comfortable majority. The zeal and enthusiasm that has taken hold of the nation pre and post-election, must be cultivated. And the resolve for change has to translate into action — and by that I mean a keenness to move forward and make things better on both an individual and collective level. There is change in the air and it must be put to good use.

Rabia Alavi is a Dubai-based writer. You can follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RabiaAlavi