Winning tickets and elections

Away from the heat of political and legal frictions in Islamabad, aspiring contestants of national and provincial assembly seats in Pakistan must be busy hobbling to mobilise resources deemed necessary to stand a chance in general elections. In theory, any Pakistani can enter provincial or national assembly on the strength of the public support base in a constituency, expressed through the ballot. However, even a fleeting look at the finances involved in the process indicates that, in practice, only the rich and those connected with the nexus of the power elite enjoy the opportunity unless some unique circumstances align the stars of a commoner with a resourceful party. At one time, many MNAs and MPAs of MQM and Jamat e Islami, hailing from humble backgrounds, were counted in this category. “Apart from everything else, electioneering is a costly business, way beyond the means of ordinary folks. How can someone who might find it hard to pay a security deposit to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) at the nomination stage even dream of securing a legislative seat?” a politician from Karachi who aspired to fight and win an election on a general seat back in 2008 told this writer. Later she entered National Assembly on a quota.