Gilgit Baltistan Election 2020 results leave no doubt that the people of GilgitBaltistan, giving loud and clear verdict against the opposition alliance and its two main parties, PML N and PPP through a public referendum, have rejected the opposition narrative. Two main opposition parties could hardly win five seats in the elections conducted on 23 seats of GilgitBaltistan. PTI carried the day with ten seats while the independent candidates managed to win six seats.
A month prior to the elections, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari encamped in GilgitBaltistan while Marium Nawaz held many public gatherings which saw the leaders of these parties reiterating anti-establishment and anti-army narrative, disparaging them for stealing their mandate and defeating them through election rigging. This time, army men were not even in the polling booths but the opposition isunleashing malicious propaganda that the establishment has dented their electoral prospects.
Actually the worthy and upright people of GilgitBaltistan have shown them the mirror that if they want to do politics in this country, then their narrative can’t be anything other than patriotism. It will not be the narrative of any person or party loaded with bias. The people of GilgitBaltistan have known that the agenda or narrative of PDM is not to overthrow the government but to undermine the country. It is being exploited by our enemy. A few days ago, DG ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar has told in a press conference conducted alongwith the Foreign Minister Shah MahmoodQureshihow India and its secret agencies are once again active to conduct terrorism in Pakistan; and some elements in Pakistan are offering them a helping hand. As PDM is unleashing anti-army narrative ceaselessly, the enemy is finding a ripe field to sow its seeds and to further its sinister design.
No sooner did PML N member, AyazSadiq gave anti army statement in the assembly than BJP picked the point to denounce Pakistan; and BJP which has never won majority seats in Behar, got 74 seats first time in history only due to AyazSadiq’s statement. It carried out its election campaign on that statement and won.
The credence of of GB Elections and exposure of opposition propaganda can be gauged from the fact that in the GB constituency 21; a PML N candidate won, getting more than 4000 votes while the runner-up was PPP candidate, Ayob Shah who bagged more than 3000 votes. The difference between them was almost of one thousand votes but Bilawal Bhutto Zardari accused government and its supporters of rigging. PML N has won a seat. How could it win in the wake of rigging? There PTI leader was nowhere near the winning post. If there is rigging, it must be done by N League and its cohorts.
One thing is sure. Let general elections or local government elections take place, PDM will fall apart like dry leaves and its main parties will grab each neck of each other. It is with all the reasons an unnatural alliance. No sooner did the dust of GB Elections get settled, Hafiz HafeezurRehman of PML N accused Sindh of manipulating GB elections by using power of purse to bend the scale.
Although PPP is a part of PDM on paper yet it has virtuallydistanced itself from PML N anti-army narrative. That’s why; it has managed to win three seats while in many constituencies, its candidates were runners-up. It means people are beginning to like it nonetheless.
PML N needs to seriously review of its policy if it wants to have its share of cake in political field. In the current GB Elections, its only two candidates could win. In the remaining 21 seats, its no candidate was even runner up. It shows that the people of this area have rejected the toxic narrative of Nawaz Sharif. Its brunt has to be borne by its candidates on the field. Otherwise, it is the same N League as won 21 seats in the previous elections.
Political parties comprising of PDM need to undergo a soul searching process that they are unwittingly strengthening the hands of forces hostile to Pakistan. People don’t endorse libeling of army chief in the public gatherings. If you are sincere with the country, or not a part of anti-Pakistan drive, or avoid slandering the defenders of Pakistan, the army and its officers, then you can live for another day’s politics. Otherwise, GB Election results should be the writing on the wall for them, knowing what end they are going to meet.
