{"id":38610,"date":"2023-12-22T18:53:09","date_gmt":"2023-12-22T18:53:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/govt-formed-through-manipulated-elections-will-be-on-thin-ice-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-12-22T18:53:09","modified_gmt":"2023-12-22T18:53:09","slug":"govt-formed-through-manipulated-elections-will-be-on-thin-ice-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/govt-formed-through-manipulated-elections-will-be-on-thin-ice-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Govt formed through manipulated elections will be on thin ice\u2019 | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nKARACHI:
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\u201cAny government coming to power as a result of a stage-managed election will be standing on thin ice,\u201d said a senior political analyst while participating in the Express News talk show \u201cExperts\u201d on Thursday.<\/p>\n

The show host, Dua Jamil, asked the panel who from amongst the prime ministerial hopefuls has the ability to steer the country out of the myriad of crises.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone elected by the popular will of the people will be their true representative. Only he would be able to become their saviour. Only he would be able to stabilise the country politically and pull it out of the current economic morass,\u201d Naveed Hussain, Chief Editor of The Express Tribune, said while offering his two cents on the topic.<\/p>\n

Read more:\u00a0Political analysts foresee political chaos if election is stage-managed<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSuch an elected leader would be confident that he enjoys the mandate of people. He wouldn\u2019t have to worry that someone would pull the chair from underneath him. This is what would give him confidence to take bold decisions,\u201d Hussain said. He added that any leader getting \u201celected\u201d as a result of a state-managed election would find his \u201cgovernment standing on thin ice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hussain cited the example of the 2018 elections which all political parties alleged at the time had been manipulated in favour of Imran Khan\u2019s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. \u201cThe 2018 election may have been free and fair, but the exercise did not look transparent and hence had little credibility,\u201d he said. \u201cThe government that was formed as a result apparently drew its strength not from people, but from someone else \u2013 and this why it was easily ousted from power.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more:\u00a0Toshakhana reference against Imran, Bushra fixed for hearing on Dec 23<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

It is a kind of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu now. The same drama is being replayed. Only the characters have been switched. Hussain fears the result would not be different from the post-2018 elections. \u201cIt is as clear as day that the political chessboard has been rearranged for Nawaz Sharif to become the prime minister for a fourth time,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Ayaz Khan, Group Editor Daily Express, said that his pick for the slot of prime minister would be someone who prioritises health and education and who works for the common man. \u201cSince none of the politicians from amongst the available lot would do that, therefore, I would not pick anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a lighter vein, Khan said that he would have solved all the problems of the country, but unfortunately, he doesn\u2019t want to contest the election because he doesn\u2019t want to get arrested. He was obliquely referring to the ongoing crackdown on PTI candidates who are not allowed to even file nomination papers for the election.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, when the host insisted, Khan said: \u201cI believe the next prime minister will be able to deliver, if he is from Balochistan.\u201d When the host prodded him to name his choice, Khan said, \u201cLet\u2019s leave it for the BAP party to decide.\u201d<\/p>\n

On his part, Amir Ilyas Rana, Express News Bureau Chief in Islamabad, said that all political parties believe their leaders are the best choice for the PM office. However, he doesn\u2019t foresee Bilawal Bhutto and Shehbaz Sharif becoming the prime minister due to the poor performance of their 16-month-long government. Rana thinks that judging on the basis of past performance, Nawaz Sharif qualifies for the coveted slot.<\/p>\n

Faisal Husain, Express News Bureau Chief in Karachi, refused to name his choice. While giving example of Bilawal, he said that his party, the PPP, has been in power in Sindh for 15 years and reportedly spent Rs22,000 billion in the name of development. If this amount had really been spent on development, the whole world would have seen the result, he added while taking a dig at the PPP\u2019s claim.<\/p>\n

He disagreed with Rana that Shahbaz was to blame for the poor performance of the PDM government. \u201cIt is wrong to solely blame Shahbaz because he was following the policies dictated by his elder brother Nawaz Sharif,\u201d Faisal said.<\/p>\n

Mohammad Ilyas, Express News Bureau Chief in Lahore, said his pick for the PM slot would be someone who works for development. \u201cThe way caretaker chief minister of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi, is undertaking development work in the province, I think he should be the prime minister,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n