Why should we vote

Coming elections are perceived to be the most important elections for decades to come. Reasons are: a) people are going to vote after an assembly has for the first time completed its term and sadly so, because it survived under the grace of the Army, b) people have had enough of one man deciding the fate of 170 million, c) people are without jobs, flour, sugar, gas, electricity, oil, education, health, leaders, security and above all freedom to express that they are feeling utterly deprived due to the present regime’s mess ups and sheer arrogance towards their needs and desires, d) we know that if these elections are rigged then Pakistan will be in a situation graver than the Dhaka fall of 1971, e) it is clear that the Army rule can not be the future and only public rule is the way forward for us and we know only by voting in these elections we would able make the Army realize that we don’t want them anymore, f) only by voting in these elections we are going to get our independent judiciary back, g) only by voting we will be able to counter the pre-poll riggings, the higher the voters turnout the lesser the chances of riggings, g) voting would be the best accountability of those who have oppressed us, usurped power and deprived us of all our rights, h) by voting we will be able to show US, West and all those states who have attacked our sovereignty that we don’t support their actions and we want to be a free nation just like any other nation in this world, i) by voting we will be able to stop atrocities of our establishment in NWFP, Baluchistan and FATA, j) by voting we will be able to stop the unrest in Pakistan that is created by in silencing our people in NWFP, Baluchistan and FATA, k) by voting we will be able to free our media from state’s undue control, l) by voting we can show the establishment that we don’t support the coward and shameful detainment of our heroes of the judiciary and lawyers, m) only by voting we can assert that we don’t support the expulsion of national heroes from one province to an other and Pakistan and all its provinces belong to every Pakistani no matter where he lives or what his believes are, n) by voting we would be supporting the cause for which our judiciary, lawyers, media and other civil groups who have bled and devoted their lives, o) by voting we will show the dictators that ultimate power rests in people and that’s now the will of people of Pakistan, p) by voting we will prove it to the world that we don’t want to be dictated and we can and will decide on our own what is good and what is bad for us, q) by voting we will not only elect a parliament for just one term but we will set this as an example for people voting in all the elections that would be held after this one, r) by voting we will be able to address issues of abuses of human rights and emancipation of the weaker sex, s) by voting we will make our founding fathers proud who bled and gave their lives for the independence of their coming generations, t) by voting we will show and express to the Army and all the vested groups that enough is enough and we are not prepared to compromise with the tyrants any more…so for the sake of our own good we must vote.

Asim H. Akhund