Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 25 July 2018
Charges of rigging, intimidation mar Pakistan campaign

By KATHY GANNON militants lobbed grenades
ISLAMABAD (AP) — As Paki- and opened fire at a mili-
stan prepares to make his- tary convoy escorting elec-
tory Wednesday by elect- tion staffers and voting ma-
ing a third straight civilian terial in the district of Turbat
government, rights activ- on the eve of the elections,
ists, analysts and candi- killing four troops.
dates say the campaign Tuesday's attack also
has been among its dirtiest wounded nine troops and
ever, imperiling the coun- four civilians, according to
try's wobbly transition to two intelligence officials
democratic rule. who spoke on condition of
The campaign has been anonymity because they
characterized by "blatant, were not authorized to talk
aggressive and unabashed to reporters. No group im-
attempts to manipulate" mediately claimed respon-
the outcome, with media sibility for the attack.
being silenced and the in- An unprecedented num-
timidation of candidates, ber of radical religious
according to Pakistan's In- parties also are participat-
dependent Human Rights ing in the election, includ-
Commission. In this July 22, 2018, file photo, supporters of Pakistani politician Imran Khan attend his election ing some that have been
At the center of most alle- rally in Karachi, Pakistan. banned but are running
gations is the powerful mili- Associated Press under new names. Violent
tary establishment, along Sunni militant groups that
with its intelligence agen- his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf massive financial holdings he and his family had un- vow to rid Pakistan of its
cy, known by the acronym party, or PTI. of Pakistan's military. disclosed assets abroad. minority Shiites are seeking
ISI. The rancorous campaign The military has ruled the He was found guilty of cor- election, and candidates
The manipulation is seen and charges of manipula- country of more than 200 ruption, banned from poli- from both the PTI and PML-
as seeking to prevent the tion have polarized Paki- million people — directly tics for life and sentenced N have been seen courting
Pakistan Muslim League, stanis, and whichever party or indirectly — for most of to 10 years in jail, where he them. In some areas, can-
the party of disgraced loses is likely to cry fraud. its history. Successive at- is appealing his conviction. didates have been intimi-
Prime Minister Nawaz Shar- "Whatever way elections tempts at protracted de- His brother, Shahbaz Sharif, dated into not running.
if, from returning to power, run, I see a lot of instability," mocracy have been inter- took over the party's helm. "It is worrying how strategi-
while giving a shot at run- said Ayesha Siddiqa, a de- rupted by military coups, "The shadow of the military cally religion is being used
ning the country to former fense analyst and author the last one in 1999. looming over the election as a tool to come into
cricket star Imran Khan and of "Military Inc.," about the Pakistanis went to the polls amplifies the continued power by a large num-
in 2008 and elected their struggles of democracy ber of candidates," said
first civilian government in in Pakistan," said Michael Samar Minallah Khan, a
12 years. Kugelman, deputy director human rights activist and
"This is quite a schizophren- of the Asia Program at the documentary filmmaker.
ic moment for Pakistan's U.S.-based Wilson Center. "Political parties are paying
democracy," said Moeed "Allegations of army med- homage to banned outfits,
Yusuf, associate vice presi- dling and the fact that handing out party tickets
dent of the Asia Center at troops will be deployed to people who in the past
the Washington-based U.S. on mass levels on election have been putting lives
Institute of Peace. day make it crystal clear of activists and minorities
"On the one hand, you that this election process under threat through their
have completing 10 years is not entirely a civilian-led television programs, spew-
of uninterrupted demo- process." At the request of ing hatred and violence. It
cratic rule. ... On the other the Election Commission of seems the priority is to win,
hand, you've got all sorts of Pakistan, the military is de- no matter what."
allegations of pre-poll rig- ploying 350,000 soldiers to There are 85,307 polling
ging and manipulation." polling stations nationwide. stations across Pakistan
The left-leaning Pakistan Leading rights activist I.A. and more than 11,000 can-
People's Party was pro- Rehman said it was worry- didates are vying for 270
pelled to victory in 2008 ing that soldiers will be posi- seats in parliament and
by sympathetic voters fol- tioned inside booths where 570 seats in four provincial
lowing the death of their votes are cast. assemblies. Voting for two
leader Benazir Bhutto, killed The campaign also has parliament seats and six
by militant radicals she had been rattled by violence, seats in provincial assem-
vowed to eradicate. with candidates from sev- blies has been postponed
Sharif's Pakistan Muslim eral parties targeted. An for a later date, due to at-
League, or PML-N, won in attack claimed by the Is- tacks on candidates or dis-
2013, but he fell out with the lamic State group earlier qualifications. One candi-
military after questioning its this month in southwestern date in the Sindh provincial
links to some militant groups Baluchistan province killed assembly was unopposed
and seeking to make it sub- 149 people, including a and has already secured
servient to parliament. parliamentary candidate. that seat.
He was ousted last year af- Another 300 people were Of the 106,000 eligible vot-
ter leaked documents from wounded. ers in Pakistan, 47 million
a Panama law firm revealed On the eve of elections, are women. q