Beyond the election: EDITORIAL

THE DAWN, NOV 15
ELECTIONS and irregularities sadly go hand in hand in Pakistan. The landmark polls in Gilgit-Baltistan were no exception with reports of sporadic violence, allegations of the state machinery’s biased deployment and gross inaccuracies in voters’ lists. In some constituencies, the number of registered voters almost matched the area’s total population. That would suggest that nearly every person in the constituency is of voting age, which doesn’t seem plausible unless populations have grown uncontrollably since the last census. But far more disturbing are reports that some candidates came to an agreement that women would be barred from voting, a practice that is not unknown in Pakistan. Similar attempts to disenfranchise women have been witnessed earlier in parts of the NWFP and the country’s tribal areas.

But the upside cannot be downplayed. The election exercise was successful on the whole and the high voter turnout reflected the desire of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan to be a part of mainstream politics in Pakistan. All the political parties that count spared no effort to make their presence felt at the hustings. The People’s Party has since secured the right to rule and its nominee is expected to be named as the region’s first chief minister. But this is where the situation becomes tricky. Where in the constitution is there room for a chief minister of a ‘region’? Will Gilgit-Baltistan, or the Northern Areas as the region was once called, be declared a province in due course? Is it part of Kashmir, as some argue, or an entity on its own?

These are questions best answered by the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. A referendum may be in order on this count, irrespective of the sensitivity surrounding the ‘Kashmir issue’. Islamabad also needs to look into why Gilgit-Baltistan still does not enjoy representation in parliament. The region’s constitutional status, despite its people’s avowed loyalty to Pakistan, has been hanging in limbo for nearly 60 years. True, a beginning has been made with the first party-based polls in Gilgit-Baltistan and the forthcoming election of a chief minister. But that is not enough. Welcome as it is, what the area’s people have been given this past week is a glorified local government system. They need national representation, sooner than later. If Fata, where the Pakistan Penal Code does not apply, can have its MPs sitting in Islamabad, why can’t Gilgit-Baltistan be extended the same privilege? Lastly, it needs to be stressed that the region’s development, as promised by the PM, must benefit local people first and foremost. The sins of the past, as committed in Balochistan, ought not to be repeated. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/editorial/beyond-the-election-519