FOR a district that has two seats at stake in the National Assembly and four in the provincial legislature and some 40 candidates in the race for the general election, Khushab seems immune to election fever.

Banners and streamers don’t dominate the skyline and the sight of vehicles adorned with slogans is uncommon. There have been — as yet — no rallies to write home about.

The disconnect is too obvious to be missed and the silence becomes all the more telling when one learns that candidates in the race cover the entire political spectrum — PTI, PML-N, PPP, ANP and MMA and Tehrik-i-Labbaik.

Local heavyweights such as Sumera Malik and the influential Tiwana family are among those in the run.

The candidates do have an explanation for what looks like a city in slumber. They say the Election Commission, a hyperactive district administration and the provincial government have all combined to ensure that electoral activities remain low-key as all traditional ingredients vital to an election campaign have been excluded from the campaign.

“Panaflexes and banners make up 90 per cent of the election activity these days with their visual appeal and quality to withstand the vagaries of the weather. The ban on panaflexes has hit the campaign hard, robbing it of colour and pageantry,” according to Malik Asif Bha, a former provincial minister and PML-N candidate.

The Election Commission, a hyperactive district administration and the provincial government have all combined to ensure that electoral activities remain low-key as all traditional ingredients vital to an election campaign have been excluded from the campaign.

Only last week, the entire district was cleansed of banners and streamers. Those who muster the courage to put them up again face legal action. So far, 18 FIRs have been lodged against different candidates and their supporters in Khushab district.

As if this were not enough, rallies and corner meetings require permission that can only be obtained after a lengthy and tedious process. This has virtually taken such election staples off the campaign menu. “How can a candidate inject life into electioneering under such a squeeze?” Asif Bha wonders. “But we are trying to work around the code and breathe life into our campaign somehow,” he hastens to add.

The district administration says it’s confronted with a “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” dilemma. It gets flak from candidates and voters if it tries to implement the code of conduct while it is at the receiving end of the wrath of angry high-ups if it does not.

“One can hardly believe, but it is true, that the Special Branch (of police) and intelligence agencies are monitoring the handling (of the campaign) by the district administration. Any laxity draws official warnings,” says a junior employee of the administration.

Khushab district has long been a PML-N stronghold. The party swept the district in 2013, winning all six seats. But pundits say things may be changing now. Although clan and caste loyalties are still at work, even across party lines, some estimates say they seem to be favouring the PTI.

These assessments, however, have not deterred the likes of Sumera Malik, a PML-N nominee. She thinks she has got what it takes to win the NA-93 seat — tradition plus political clout, charisma and the party’s vote bank.

18 is the number of FIRs that have been lodged against different candidates and their supporters in Khushab district so far.

She has latched onto the development narrative of her leader Shehbaz Sharif and has been studiously refraining from uttering anything that can antagonise the establishment. “I beat my opponent (the PTI guy) in the last elections by 40,000 votes. Our campaign is gaining momentum by the day. The area belongs to the PML-N and July 25 is only going to reiterate it,” Sumera Malik asserts, confidence writ large on her face.

Doubts creeping in

Her support base, however, does not seem to be as optimistic. “The voter is feeling dejected because of the way things are moving against the PML-N leadership,” according to Malik Iqbal, a lawyer from Khushab. “The voter has stepped aside silently. The biggest challenge for the party is to revive the sagging morale among the voters.

“If it can lift its supporters’ spirits, it still has a massive vote bank in this area. The moot question is whether the party can ensure their presence in good numbers at the polling station on voting day.”

Malik Ehsanullah Tiwana, the PTI contestant in NA-94, agrees that the campaign has so far been lacklustre and it may affect the turnout. But he claims that “the PTI voters are fully charged and sensing victory like their leaders. The low turnout may be limited to PML-N voters”.

A political observer, who did not want to be named since he is a government employee, offered yet another explanation for the lifeless campaign. He thinks that everything “administratively possible” is being done to ensure a low turnout. “Someone has worked it out that a low turnout will hurt a particular party more than others.

“Otherwise, how can you explain imposition of Section 144 during an election campaign? It hardly makes sense. Nor do other restrictions,” the unnameable analyst reflected.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2018