By Justice Markandey Katju–
(Justice Markandey Katju is a former Judge, Supreme Court of India, and former Chairman, Press Council of India. The views expressed are his own)
The election results for the Pakistan National Assembly held on February 8 show a confusing picture. If the elections had been free and fair, then Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party (PTI), whose leader Imran Khan has popular support of 80-90% of the people of Pakistan would easily have swept the polls.
At first, it was announced that PTI was leading by a big margin. PTI supporters began victory celebrations all over Pakistan. But, within a few hours, things changed dramatically. The Election Commission of Pakistan mysteriously stopped counting votes for a long time, and the establishment (meaning, the Army) allegedly tried to rig the elections. Some sources say that, as of Nawaz Sharif’s PMLN is leading, though by a thin margin. International observers were not allowed to witness the polls. Mobile services were suspended.
By a dishonest verdict of a bench of the Pakistan Supreme Court headed by the crooked judge Qazi Faez Isa, the PTI was deprived of its party symbol. The entire effort of the Pakistan Establishment has been to oppose the PTI by putting most of its leaders and many of its workers in jail, and creating all kinds of obstacles in their holding meetings, and install the corrupt Nawaz Sharif as the Prime Minister again.
By no means will the Pakistani generals, who are steeped in corruption, allow Imran Khan and the PTI come back to power, as then it will be called to account for its huge corruption and other misdeeds. I had said that the elections will be massively rigged by the army and other state agencies, and then some kind of civil war will begin in Pakistan.
This apprehension may well come true. The results of the elections have indeed been massively rigged. Terrible times may be coming to Pakistan.
