Elections 2018: Repercussion of boycotting polls
Elections boycott misjudgment and miscalculation eventually thrash political parties.
From Dunya Election Cell
(WebDesk) - To remain in the political and electoral process, is the only way for the political parties that can ensure survival and existence. Political parties that had opted to boycott the polls in past, only impaired themselves and went into vain for not being part of electoral process. Not learning such harsh lessons from history, there are still, handfuls of political parties that have announced the boycott of elections 2018.
Most prominent among the political parties considering boycotting the elections 2018 is foreign settled religious scholar Allama Tahir ul Qadri led Pakistan Awami Tehreek.
PAT Chief Allama Tahir ul Qadri announced to boycott the elections 2018. Photo: File
Along with PAT, despite being divided into three factions, former supremo of MQM Altaf Hussain from London has also appealed his supporters to remain boycott Pakistan General elections 2018.
People remain firm with the uprising of democratic and parliamentarian process and bestow the parties with power and rule which respects the vote and supremacy of the democratic system.
MQM former supremo appealed the workers to boycott elections 2018. Photo: File
Going through the political history of Pakistan, the veracity of ineffectiveness of political parties boycotting democratic and electoral process is quite exposed. Parties chose to stay away from the electoral politics, had to work pretty hard to gain their positions back.
After securing 60 NA seats in 2002, Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal reduced to 12 seats after the main party of the religious parties’ alliance Jamat-e-Islami had decided to boycott the elections 2008. When Jamat-e-Islami made their way back in elections 2013 to claim its lost space, only 03 seats were secured by them.
A pre-boycott rally of JI before elections 2008. Photo: rFi
Besides JI, other parties that had boycotted the elections 2008 include the ginger groups and the segregated factions of the major parties. These parties were a part of an alliance named APDM. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has also boycotted the elections in 2008 and remained out of the political and parliamentarian process. Many notable political and nationalist parties of Balochistan had boycotted the elections in 2008 and fell victim of self-damage and self-destruction.
Even Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz was all set to stay away from the elections 2018 but after PPP’s chairperson Benazir Bhutto’s killing during her election campaigning for elections 2018, Bhutto’s husband advised PMLN Supremo Nawaz Sharif to partake in elections 2008. Nawaz revised his plan to not contest elections and then formed provincial government after a decisive victory in Punjab.
Often notable political parties boycotted the elections and fell victim of self-damage and self-destruction
On different occasions, founder of MQM Altaf Hussain’s decision to boycott the elections, immensely damaged the party positions. His decision to remain distanced during the local elections in 2001 had cost party the robust defeat. MQM’s arch rival opponent political party Jamat-e-Islami took the benefit and paved way in forming local government in Karachi. Earlier in 1993, MQM also boycotted local elections and made ways for the political foes Pakistan People’s Party and Jamat-e-Islami to establish their puissance in the regional politics.
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Boycotting elections for many times, MQM minimised its chances to gain puissance on a broad political canvas. Photo: File
Often announcing the boycott of election, political parties surmise that this would have lessen the significance of elections and a large number of voters would remain stand away of the electoral process and voters would not head to the polling stations. This misjudgment and miscalculation eventually t them with the barefaced overpower.
People remain firm with the uprising of democratic and parliamentarian system and bestow the parties with power and rule which respects the vote and supremacy of the democratic system. 
After realising the disastrous repercussion of boycotting election, JI participated with full potential in elections 2013. Photo: File
