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As campaigning for the July 25 elections picks up steam, mainstream political parties see orchestrated “ maneuvering” on the part of the country’s powerful military establishment to keep them out of power.
They believe the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party led by former cricket star Imran Khan is being favored thanks to a calculated pre-poll manipulation, a charge Khan and his supporters rebuff.
“Unfortunately, electoral engineering aimed at bringing a particular party to power is underway,” Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, head of the media cell of the Pakistan Muslim League's (Nawaz) (PML-N), told Anadolu Agency without naming the PTI.
Three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's right-wing Pakistan Muslim League, but also left-wing Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of former President Asif Ali Zardari, have launched these latest allegations.
Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain hailed the “strong” bilateral relations with Turkey, saying they will not be affected by any changes in the political system.In a special interview with Anadolu Agency, Hussain said: “The relations between Turkey and Pakistan […] cannot be described in words. It is a very special type of relationship between our two nations.”Erdoğan sworn in as Turkey’s first executive presidentHussain arrived in Ankara to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.“These relations are based on heritage, culture, religion and they are very strong bonds. I think that with the passing of time, these relations will grow.”During his interview, Hussain congratulated Erdogan, calling him "a brother".“I hope and I pray for the prosperity and welfare of the Turkish nation and the future," he said.The June 24 vote marked Turkey's transition to an executive presidential system of government, doing away with the prime minister's post, among other changes.Video: Pakistani President arrives in Ankara to attend Erdogan's inaugurationErdogan won an absolute majority in the presidential election with 52.5 percent of the vote, according to Turkey’s Supreme Election Council (YSK).Hussain said: “I think they [the relations] don’t change with the changes in the political system and other changes […] anywhere on the globe.”“The relations between our two countries are on very strong bonds. It doesn’t matter what happens in the world and what changes there are," he added.The Pakistani leader also expressed hopes that relations in politics, defense, education and trade sectors would further improve.“I hope that, in the future, we will be enhancing trade relations because this is very important. Turkey is a very important country of this region, doing very good in the economics field. We would like to have exchanges of our products with the Turkish products."Defense cooperationReferring to Turkey’s recent move to sell corvette ships to Pakistan, he said: “It is a remarkable thing that we are getting this equipment [corvette ships] from Turkey. Turkey and Pakistan have been doing these things for a very long time.”Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said on Thursday that Turkey would sell four corvette ships to Pakistan Navy after winning a tender.Hussain said Turkey and Pakistan would be very close to each other and cooperate in different sectors.A bilateral dialogue group was established in 2003 to suggest policies and unfolding plans for defense collaboration between the two countries.In 2016, Turkey had gifted 34 T-37 aircraft and their spare parts to Pakistan.TIKA’s activitiesIn his remarks, the Pakistani president also praised Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA)’s operation in his country.He said: “TIKA was very active in providing help to the affected people in Pakistan [during earthquakes and floods]. TIKA has established many schools in Pakistan and one hospital has also been established by TIKA.”He continued: “TIKA is doing a wonderful job to help our Pakistani people wherever something is needed."SCO membershipPakistan would welcome Turkey with joy if it becomes a member of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Hussain said.“I think the organization will get the benefit when Turkey becomes a member of SCO […]. Strategically, I think Turkey will be helping the SCO in a very nice way.”The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic, and security organization established in 2001. Originally it included Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.Last year, India and Pakistan joined the organization. Besides, Iran and Afghanistan currently have observer status in the SCO.
Pakistani president hails ‘strong ties’ with Turkey
A string of recent events, ranging from Nawaz Sharif’s conviction in a corruption case to law enforcement agencies reportedly presssuring several candidates not to take part in the elections as part of the PML-N ticket.
Sharif was sentenced last Friday to 10 years in jail for corruption in the capital Islamabad Friday -- a verdict that immediately saw outcries of “injustice” by his party supporters.
Scores of PML-N members have reportedly chosen to contest independently, a move that party leaders, including Sharif, see as the result of “pressure from the establishment" -- a term usually used to designate the powerful Pakistani army.
A court in capital Islamabad on Thursday sentenced the notorious owner of a fake degree mill to jail for a minimum of seven years on four counts, according to the court record and local media reports.A district court found Shoaib Shaikh, who is listed as the owner of Bol media group and the IT company, Axact, along with 22 of his employees guilty in the fake degree international scam and handed them down seven years in jail each on two counts and three years each on another two counts, local broadcaster Geo News reported.The convicts were, however, exonerated of money laundering and electronic crimes charges.Although technically the number of years the convicts were sentenced to totals 20 years, they were likely to remain behind bars just for seven years since all the sentences would be carried out simultaneously.Pakistanis among nearly 200 undocumented migrants held across TurkeyImran Khan's party gains ground in Pakistan election racePakistani archbishop elevated to cardinal hailedNone of the convicts were present in the court when the judgment was announced. Police, according to the Geo TV, were conducting raids to arrest them.The convicts also have a chance to appeal the verdict in the high court within seven days.Meanwhile, the district court acquitted Ayesha Shaikh, the wife of Shoaib Shaikh, and two others for lack of evidence.Shoaib Shaikh and several other directors had been arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency in May 2015 after the discovery of "hundreds of thousands" of fake degree certificates at the company's headquarters in southern Karachi city.They were later released on bail, and subsequently acquitted by an Islamabad district court in October 2016 of all charges. But, the Islamabad High Court in April this year not only set aside the acquittal but the district court judge was also sacked after being found guilty of taking a bribe in exchange for giving a favorable verdict to Shaikh and others.Pakistan vows to implement plan to end terror financingAxact, which claims to be one the world's largest IT companies and is the parent company of one of Pakistan’s biggest media groups, was identified in a New York Times report in 2015 as the culprit behind the selling of fake degrees from 300 bogus universities to people all over the world.The report alleged that Axact would sell online degrees for $350 to $4,000 for a range of subjects.Axact is the parent company of the BOL media group, which owns several TV channels in Pakistan.
Pakistani court sends fake degree mill owner to jail
"A silent coup''
Sharif, who has announced he would return to Pakistan from London on July 13 to face his jail sentence, has time and again said that his party was going to contest elections against “Khalaee Makhlooq” (Aliens), a term he has recently coined to designate the army and the judiciary, which according to him, were responsible for his three ousters since 1992.
His first government was dismissed in 1992 on corruption charges, whereas, former military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf toppled his second governmnet in a bloodless military coup in 1999.
“This kind of maneuvering has been used several times in the past but it never worked. It should be stopped now, and let the people’s will prevail,” said Mushahid Hussain Syed, who served as information minister under Sharif from 1997 to 1999.
From the left, Farhatullah Babar, a former senator and a PPP leader, said the upcoming elections had already been “rigged” and “manipulated”.
“It’s just a formality to hold the polling on July 25,” Babar told Anadolu Agency.
“The invisible political engineers seem desperate for a fragmented and divided parliament that is easier to manipulate. A silent coup has taken place, far softer and subtler than any previous coups,” Babar was also quoted as saying by local English daily Dawn last week.
Former President Asif Ali Zardari, the party co-chairman and widower of the slain premier Benazir Bhutto, has also cast doubts on the fairness of the elections following the arrests of his close aides, including a prominent banker, on money laundering charges.
"Preemptive" step
Banker Hussain Lawai was taken into custody last week over his alleged involvement in money laundering operations for Zardari, his sister and 18 others.
“This is a message for me,” Zardari said in an interview with the local Geo TV. “I do not know about others but the PPP candidates are feeling the pressure.”
Imran Khan's PTI rejects the allegations, calling them a “preemptive” step to hide behind what he believes will be their defeat in the upcoming elections.
“They have read what is written on the wall. That’s why they are crying as a preemptive tactic to cast doubts on the expected election results,” Iftikhar Durrani, the head of the PTI media wing, told Anadolu Agency.
“Nawaz is not the only one who is convicted. Our general secretary [Jahangir Tareen] has also been disqualified for life by the same Supreme Court. The same court has also set aside the disqualification of Sharif’s close aide and former Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif,” said Iftikhar Durrani, rejecting Sharif’s criticism on the apex court.
Tareen was disqualified in December 2017 for failing to disclose certain assets. Asif saw his disqualification declared null and void last month.
Local analysts appear to be wary about the contentions of "maneuvering".
“The two [Zardari and Sharif] are already tainted by corruption charges,” Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, an Islamabad-based analyst, told Anadolu Agency. “ They know it is hard to win the upcoming elections.”
“Election engineering is not new in Pakistan politics. But this time, things are so obvious and being done in a careless way propelling the common people to doubt the fairness of the elections,” Sajjad Mir, a Lahore-based political analyst told Anadolu Agency.
“Many believe that a level-playing field is not being provided to all the political players,” he thought.
Jaspal concedes that Khan constitutes a “natural favorite” for the military.
“One does not need an Einstein to understand that. Sharif and Zardari have continuously been targeting the army. Therefore there will be a natural reaction from the other side,” he said.