Granted that there’s substance to the charge “the military sought to manipulate the election results” in Pakistan, there still is the inescapable feeling today that the established political parties there have taken a severe beating in the parliamentary polls. That said, the final outcome of the polls is anybody’s guess for the reason that the court there can intervene to set things right or play spoilsport.
The impressive gains made by cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were no surprise. With the ruling PML-N of Nawaz Sharif having taken a severe beating in the backdrop of the
Panama Papers leak and court indictment of the seasoned leader in corruption cases, the mood was set against the party. Sharif’s jailing, of late, was seen by some as a step that would help his party win sympathy votes. Others thought that it was reaffirmation of his corrupt image. Clearly, the people were not enthused at the turn of events. The last straw that possibly worked against the PML, now led by his brother, were reports that Nawaz Sharif is critically ill due to kidney ailment.
Imran Khan is no saint. India has reasons to be wary of him on two counts. One, he is believed to have the backing of the Pakistani army and its notorious intelligence wing the ISI. Two, he has a direct line with the fundamentalist forces in the country, which are making a mess of life in Pakistan on the one hand, and raising the public mood against India on the other. The Election Commission granting permission to the army to be present in polling booths was invitation to trouble. This offered a window of opportunity to the soldiers to subvert the will of the people. Allegations by PPP and PML-N, among others, were that soldiers threw out political party agents at many booths and manipulated the polls from within. Under the present state of affairs there, anything is possible.
A politically unstable Pakistan is of grave concern to India. Chances are that the army would seek to further complicate matters vis-à-vis India. A strong leader at the helm, like Nawaz Sharif, was some guarantee that the political establishment there would act with a sense of responsibility. With parliamentary elections ending in a flurry of contesting claims and counter-claims and vote-rigging allegations, a smooth transition of power is unlikely. All eyes are on the court too, as to what impediments can come in the way of the political process.
