How Nawaz Sharif beat Imran Khan and what happens next

7/30/2019 How Nawaz Sharif beat Imran Khan and what happens next

1/37

pdfcrowd comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

News US World Sports Comment Culture Business Money Environment Science Travel Tech Media Life & style Data

Your search terms ... UK and World news Search

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more here

Pakistan elections: how Nawaz Sharif

beat Imran Khan and what happensnextThe results of the Pakistan elections are in but how did a former

exile win the vote? By promising airports to people who can't affordbicycles, says novelist Mohammed Hanif

Email

Tweet 932

35

Share 17614

Share 26

Mohammed Hanif

The Guardian, Monday 13 May 2013 14.00 EDTJump to comments (95)

PakistanWorld newsNews

Article history

World news

Pakistan Imran Khan

Drones

More features

Sign in MobileEdition: US About us Subscribe
http://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/102/%2a/q%3B270929770%3B0-0%3B0%3B96386487%3B4986-300/600%3B51685941/51651509/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/1544633097/Right1/Guardian/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_APRIL_USA/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_MayAdsafe_Dart.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.youtube.com/user/GooglePlusStories/custom?x=plusketeershttp://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/102/%2a/q%3B270929770%3B0-0%3B0%3B96386487%3B4986-300/600%3B51685941/51651509/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/1544633097/Right1/Guardian/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_APRIL_USA/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_MayAdsafe_Dart.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.youtube.com/user/GooglePlusStories/custom?x=plusketeershttp://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/102/%2a/q%3B270929770%3B0-0%3B0%3B96386487%3B4986-300/600%3B51685941/51651509/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/1544633097/Right1/Guardian/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_APRIL_USA/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_MayAdsafe_Dart.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.youtube.com/user/GooglePlusStories/custom?x=plusketeershttp://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/102/%2a/q%3B270929770%3B0-0%3B0%3B96386487%3B4986-300/600%3B51685941/51651509/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/1544633097/Right1/Guardian/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_APRIL_USA/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_MayAdsafe_Dart.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.youtube.com/user/GooglePlusStories/custom?x=plusketeershttp://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/102/%2a/q%3B270929770%3B0-0%3B0%3B96386487%3B4986-300/600%3B51685941/51651509/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/1544633097/Right1/Guardian/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_APRIL_USA/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_MayAdsafe_Dart.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.youtube.com/user/GooglePlusStories/custom?x=plusketeershttp://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/102/%2a/q%3B270929770%3B0-0%3B0%3B96386487%3B4986-300/600%3B51685941/51651509/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/1544633097/Right1/Guardian/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_APRIL_USA/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_MayAdsafe_Dart.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.youtube.com/user/GooglePlusStories/custom?x=plusketeershttp://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/102/%2a/q%3B270929770%3B0-0%3B0%3B96386487%3B4986-300/600%3B51685941/51651509/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/1544633097/Right1/Guardian/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_APRIL_USA/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_MayAdsafe_Dart.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.youtube.com/user/GooglePlusStories/custom?x=plusketeershttp://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/102/%2a/q%3B270929770%3B0-0%3B0%3B96386487%3B4986-300/600%3B51685941/51651509/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/1544633097/Right1/Guardian/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_APRIL_USA/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_MayAdsafe_Dart.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.youtube.com/user/GooglePlusStories/custom?x=plusketeershttp://cdn.theguardian.tv/mainwebsite/2013/5/12/130511Sharif-16x9.mp4http://www.guardian.co.uk/tone/featureshttp://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/102/%2a/q%3B270929770%3B0-0%3B0%3B96386487%3B4986-300/600%3B51685941/51651509/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/1544633097/Right1/Guardian/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_APRIL_USA/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_MayAdsafe_Dart.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.youtube.com/user/GooglePlusStories/custom?x=plusketeershttps://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Fworld%2F2013%2Fmay%2F13%2Fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&related=guardiang2&text=Pakistan%20elections%3A%20how%20Nawaz%20Sharif%20beat%20Imran%20Khan%20and%20what%20happens%20next&tw_p=tweetbutton&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgu.com%2Fp%2F3fz67%2Ftw&via=guardianhttp://www.guardiannews.com/http://www.guardiannews.com/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/usahttp://www.guardian.co.uk/worldhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/sporthttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/us-editionhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/culturehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/business/us-editionhttp://www.guardiannews.com/moneyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environmenthttp://www.guardiannews.com/http://www.guardiannews.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/102/%2a/q%3B270929770%3B0-0%3B0%3B96386487%3B4986-300/600%3B51685941/51651509/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/1544633097/Right1/Guardian/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_APRIL_USA/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_MayAdsafe_Dart.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.youtube.com/user/GooglePlusStories/custom?x=plusketeershttp://www.guardian.co.uk/sciencehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/travelhttp://ad.doubleclick.net/activity;src%3D1576714%3Bmet%3D1%3Bv%3D1%3Bpid%3D93235531%3Baid%3D267178528%3Bko%3D0%3Bcid%3D44912200%3Brid%3D44929988%3Brv%3D1%3Bcs%3Ds%3Beid1%3D694795%3Becn1%3D1%3Betm1%3D0%3B_dc_redir%3Durl%3fhttp://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/f4/%2a/q%3B267178528%3B0-0%3B0%3B93235531%3B3454-728/90%3B44912200/44929988/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/866347177/Top/Guardian/CSX_2013_Digital_Mixed_News_Politics_Bus_Env_Nj/CSX_NJ_LB_DA.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.csx.comhttp://ad.doubleclick.net/activity;src%3D1576714%3Bmet%3D1%3Bv%3D1%3Bpid%3D93235531%3Baid%3D267178528%3Bko%3D0%3Bcid%3D44912200%3Brid%3D44929988%3Brv%3D1%3Bcs%3Ds%3Beid1%3D694795%3Becn1%3D1%3Betm1%3D0%3B_dc_redir%3Durl%3fhttp://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/f4/%2a/q%3B267178528%3B0-0%3B0%3B93235531%3B3454-728/90%3B44912200/44929988/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/866347177/Top/Guardian/CSX_2013_Digital_Mixed_News_Politics_Bus_Env_Nj/CSX_NJ_LB_DA.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.csx.comhttp://ad.doubleclick.net/activity;src%3D1576714%3Bmet%3D1%3Bv%3D1%3Bpid%3D93235531%3Baid%3D267178528%3Bko%3D0%3Bcid%3D44912200%3Brid%3D44929988%3Brv%3D1%3Bcs%3Ds%3Beid1%3D694795%3Becn1%3D1%3Betm1%3D0%3B_dc_redir%3Durl%3fhttp://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/f4/%2a/q%3B267178528%3B0-0%3B0%3B93235531%3B3454-728/90%3B44912200/44929988/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/866347177/Top/Guardian/CSX_2013_Digital_Mixed_News_Politics_Bus_Env_Nj/CSX_NJ_LB_DA.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.csx.comhttp://ad.doubleclick.net/activity;src%3D1576714%3Bmet%3D1%3Bv%3D1%3Bpid%3D93235531%3Baid%3D267178528%3Bko%3D0%3Bcid%3D44912200%3Brid%3D44929988%3Brv%3D1%3Bcs%3Ds%3Beid1%3D694795%3Becn1%3D1%3Betm1%3D0%3B_dc_redir%3Durl%3fhttp://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/f4/%2a/q%3B267178528%3B0-0%3B0%3B93235531%3B3454-728/90%3B44912200/44929988/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/866347177/Top/Guardian/CSX_2013_Digital_Mixed_News_Politics_Bus_Env_Nj/CSX_NJ_LB_DA.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.csx.comhttp://ad.doubleclick.net/activity;src%3D1576714%3Bmet%3D1%3Bv%3D1%3Bpid%3D93235531%3Baid%3D267178528%3Bko%3D0%3Bcid%3D44912200%3Brid%3D44929988%3Brv%3D1%3Bcs%3Ds%3Beid1%3D694795%3Becn1%3D1%3Betm1%3D0%3B_dc_redir%3Durl%3fhttp://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/f4/%2a/q%3B267178528%3B0-0%3B0%3B93235531%3B3454-728/90%3B44912200/44929988/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/866347177/Top/Guardian/CSX_2013_Digital_Mixed_News_Politics_Bus_Env_Nj/CSX_NJ_LB_DA.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.csx.comhttp://cdn.theguardian.tv/mainwebsite/2013/5/12/130511Sharif-16x9.mp4http://cdn.theguardian.tv/mainwebsite/2013/5/12/130511Sharif-16x9.mp4http://cdn.theguardian.tv/mainwebsite/2013/5/12/130511Sharif-16x9.mp4http://cdn.theguardian.tv/mainwebsite/2013/5/12/130511Sharif-16x9.mp4http://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdfhttp://www.guardiannews.com/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/usahttp://www.guardian.co.uk/worldhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/sporthttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/us-editionhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/culturehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/business/us-editionhttp://www.guardiannews.com/moneyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environmenthttp://www.guardian.co.uk/sciencehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/travelhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/technologyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/mediahttp://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstylehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/datahttp://www.guardiannews.com/http://www.guardian.co.uk/info/cookieshttps://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Fworld%2F2013%2Fmay%2F13%2Fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&related=guardiang2&text=Pakistan%20elections%3A%20how%20Nawaz%20Sharif%20beat%20Imran%20Khan%20and%20what%20happens%20next&tw_p=tweetbutton&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgu.com%2Fp%2F3fz67%2Ftw&via=guardianhttp://twitter.com/search?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Fworld%2F2013%2Fmay%2F13%2Fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khanhttp://www.facebook.com/dialog/feed?app_id=180444840287&link=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&display=popup&redirect_uri=http://static-serve.appspot.com/static/facebook-share/callback.html&show_error=false&ref=desktophttp://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/mohammed-hanifhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/mohammed-hanifhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardianhttp://cdn.theguardian.tv/mainwebsite/2013/5/12/130511Sharif-16x9.mp4http://ad.doubleclick.net/activity;src%3D1576714%3Bmet%3D1%3Bv%3D1%3Bpid%3D93235531%3Baid%3D267178528%3Bko%3D0%3Bcid%3D44912200%3Brid%3D44929988%3Brv%3D1%3Bcs%3Ds%3Beid1%3D694795%3Becn1%3D1%3Betm1%3D0%3B_dc_redir%3Durl%3fhttp://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/f4/%2a/q%3B267178528%3B0-0%3B0%3B93235531%3B3454-728/90%3B44912200/44929988/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/866347177/Top/Guardian/CSX_2013_Digital_Mixed_News_Politics_Bus_Env_Nj/CSX_NJ_LB_DA.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.csx.comhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/pakistanhttp://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/102/%2a/q%3B270929770%3B0-0%3B0%3B96386487%3B4986-300/600%3B51685941/51651509/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/1544633097/Right1/Guardian/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_APRIL_USA/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_MayAdsafe_Dart.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.youtube.com/user/GooglePlusStories/custom?x=plusketeershttp://www.guardian.co.uk/worldhttp://www.guardiannews.com/http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/pakistanhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/imran-khanhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/droneshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/tone/featureshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/printhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/share/1907233http://www.guardian.co.uk/contactus/1907233https://id.guardian.co.uk/signin?returnUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Fworld%2F2013%2Fmay%2F13%2Fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khanhttp://m.guardian.co.uk/


2/37


Link to video: Pakistan election: Nawaz Sharif's Muslim League claim s victory

Here's a little fairytale from Pakistan. Fourteen years ago a wise man

ruled the country. He enjoyed the support of his people. But some of histreacherous generals thought he wasn't that smart. One night he was

held at gunpoint, handcuffed, put in a dark dungeon, sentenced to life

imprisonment. But then a little miracle happened; he, along with his family

and servants, was put on a royal plane and exiled to Saudi Arabia, that

fancy retirement home for the world's unwanted Muslim leaders.

Two days ago that same man stood on a balcony in Lahore, thanked

Allah and said: Nawaz Sharif forgives them all.

But wait, if it was a real fairytale, Imran Khan would have won the electioninstead, right? Can't Pakistani voters tell between a world-famous, world

cup-winning, charismatic leaderand a mere politician who refers to

himself in the third person?

Why didn't Imran Khan win?

Q&A with Glenn Greenwald on APJustice Department phone recordseizures, Boston bombings andGuantnamo hunger strikes

The Guardian's civil liberties and nationalsecurity columnist will join us on Wednesday,May 15 from 2-4pm ET for a discussion onthis month's biggest news stories.

See the Q&A

Today's best video

More on this story

Pakistan's primeminister-elect urges

Imran Khan to drop

vote-rigging claim

Nawaz Sharif saysformer cricket star and

leader of Pakistan

Tehreek-e-Insaf party

should 'show the

sportsman's spirit'

Nawaz Sharif 'ready to

hit ground running' as

he heads for Pakistan

win

Pakistan backs former

prime minis ter Nawaz

Sharif as Imran Khan

falls short

Imran Khan fails tomake expected gains in

Pakistan elections

Nawaz Sharif hopes for

third time lucky asPakistan's PM

Pakistan election:

Nawaz Sharif's MuslimLeague wins video

Huge turnout for

Pakistan polls but
http://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/102/%2a/q%3B270929770%3B0-0%3B0%3B96386487%3B4986-300/600%3B51685941/51651509/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/1544633097/Right1/Guardian/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_APRIL_USA/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_MayAdsafe_Dart.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.youtube.com/user/GooglePlusStories/custom?x=plusketeershttp://cdn.theguardian.tv/mainwebsite/2013/5/12/130511Sharif-16x9.mp4http://cdn.theguardian.tv/mainwebsite/2013/5/12/130511Sharif-16x9.mp4http://cdn.theguardian.tv/mainwebsite/2013/5/12/130511Sharif-16x9.mp4http://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdfhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/may/12/pakistan-election-nawaz-sharif-muslim-league-wins-videohttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/pakistanhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/may/12/pakistan-election-nawaz-sharif-muslim-league-wins-videohttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/imran-khanhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/global/2011/sep/18/imran-khan-america-destroying-pakistanhttp://q-and-a.guardian.co.uk/qanda/298001http://q-and-a.guardian.co.uk/qanda/298001http://q-and-a.guardian.co.uk/qanda/298001http://q-and-a.guardian.co.uk/qanda/298001http://cdn.theguardian.tv/mainwebsite/2013/5/12/130511Sharif-16x9.mp4http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2013/may/14/behind-the-candelabra-trailer-video-steven-soderberghhttp://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3de3/17/102/%2a/q%3B270929770%3B0-0%3B0%3B96386487%3B4986-300/600%3B51685941/51651509/1%3B%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttp://oas.guardian.co.uk/5c/www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan/oas.html/L24/1544633097/Right1/Guardian/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_APRIL_USA/GooglePlus_ROS_300x600_MayAdsafe_Dart.html/52615461506c475449666b4141784f4a?http://www.youtube.com/user/GooglePlusStories/custom?x=plusketeershttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-prime-minister-imran-khanhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-prime-minister-imran-khanhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/12/nawaz-sharif-victory-pakistan-reformhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/12/pakistan-elects-nawaz-sharif-imranhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/12/imran-khan-fail-gain-pakistan-electionhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/12/nawaz-sharif-pakistan-pmhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/may/12/pakistan-election-nawaz-sharif-muslim-league-wins-videohttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/11/pakistan-elections-turnout-violence-khanhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2013/may/14/behind-the-candelabra-trailer-video-steven-soderberghhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/11/pakistan-elections-turnout-violence-khan


3/37


Imran Khan in hospital after a fall a t a campaign rally. Photograph: HO/AFP

Well he has, sort of. But not in the way he would have liked. Visitingforeign journalists have profiled Imran Khan more than they have profiled

any living thing in this part of the world. If all the world's magazine editors

were allowed to vote forImran Khan he would be the prime minister of

half the English-speaking world. If Imran Khan had contested in west

London he would have won hands-down. But since this is Pakistan, he

has won in Peshawar and two other cities. His party is set to form a

government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, that north-western frontier province

of Pakistan which Khan's profile writers never fail to remind us is the

province that borders Afghanistan and the tribal areas that the world is

so scared of. Or as some others never fail to remind the world: the landof the fierce pathans.

It's true that Khan ran a fierce, bloody-minded campaign, drawing huge

crowds. When his campaign culminated in a televised tumble from a

stage, during a public rally, the whole nation held its breath. Khan

galvanised not only Pakistan's parasitical upper classes but also found

support among the country's young men and women of all ages;

basically the kind of people who use the words politics and politician as

Watch the trailer for Liberace biopic Behind the

Candelabra

Trailer for Steven Soderbergh's Liberace biopic,which stars Michael Douglas and Matt Damon and

is due to premiere at Cannes

94 comments

Bill Oddie protests

against HSBC illegal

logging

Spoof documentary

features naturalist Bill

Oddie

Ice floe surges across

frozen reservoir in

Canada

Aerial footage shot

above a frozen reservoir

in Canada

Astronaut performs

Space Oddity in space

Cdr Chris Hadfield

sings David Bowie

class ic on InternationalSpace Station

On the Guardian today

parties protest at

threats and violence

Pakistani elections: 11killed by bomb blast in

Karachi

Pakistani women defy

clerics and custom inelections

Pakistan elections:

mos quito app to bite

poll cheats

New York TimesPakistan bureau chief

expelled on eve of

country's election

Multimedia

Pakistani elections in

pictures

The nationwide vote

marks the first time acivilian government wil l

transfer power to an

elected successor after

completing a full five-year term in the country,

but an attack on the

office of the Awami

National party in

Karachi on polling daycomes after a

campaign marked by

violence
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2013/may/14/behind-the-candelabra-trailer-video-steven-soderberghhttp://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdfhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/imran-khanhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/12/imran-khan-fail-gain-pakistan-electionhttp://www.yespakistan.com/hdf/Mardan/pathans.asphttp://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2013/may/14/behind-the-candelabra-trailer-video-steven-soderberghhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2013/may/14/behind-the-candelabra-trailer-video-steven-soderbergh#start-of-commentshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2013/may/14/bill-oddie-hsbc-spoof-documentary-videohttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/may/13/ice-frozen-reservoir-canada-videohttp://www.guardian.co.uk/science/video/2013/may/13/hadfield-david-bowie-space-oddity-videohttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/25/dangerous-masculinty-everyone-riskhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2013/may/14/behind-the-candelabra-trailer-video-steven-soderberghhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2013/may/14/bill-oddie-hsbc-spoof-documentary-videohttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/may/13/ice-frozen-reservoir-canada-videohttp://www.guardian.co.uk/science/video/2013/may/13/hadfield-david-bowie-space-oddity-videohttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/11/pakistan-elections-turnout-violence-khanhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/11/pakistani-elections-bomb-blast-karachihttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/10/pakistan-women-clerics-elections-customhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/10/pakistan-elections-mosquito-app-cheatshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/10/pakistan-new-york-times-declan-walshhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2013/may/11/pakistan-elections-in-pictureshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/may/11/pakistan-fatal-bomb-attack-polls-open-videohttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2013/may/11/pakistan-elections-in-pictureshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/25/dangerous-masculinty-everyone-risk


4/37


common insults. He inspired drawing-room revolutionaries to go out and

stand in the blistering heat for hours on end to vote for him. For a few

months he made politics hip in Pakistan. Partly, he was relying on votes

from Pakistan's posh locales. He probably forgot that there was a slight

problem there: not enough posh locales in Pakistan. There were kids

who flew in from Chicago, from Birmingham to vote for him. Again, there

are not enough Pakistani kids living and studying in Chicago and

Birmingham. He appealed to the educated middle classes but Pakistan's

main problem is that there aren't enough educated urban middle-classcitizens in the country.

And the masses, it appears, were not really clamouring for a revolution

but for electricity.

From the gossip columns of British tabloids to massive political rallies

across Pakistan, Khan has been on a meaningful journey. In his

campaign speeches, his blatantly Blairite message of New Pakistan did

appeal to people but he really tested his supporters' attention span when

he started to lecture them about how the Scandinavian welfare statemodel is borrowed from the early days of the Islamic empire in Arabia.

Amateur historians have never fared well in Pakistani politics. Or

anywhere else. Khan promised to turn Pakistan into Sweden, Norway or

any one of those countries where everyone is blond and pays tax. His

opponents promised Dubai where everyone is either a bonded

labourer or a property speculator and no one pays taxes and won.

It's a bit of a fairytale that Khan, whose message was directed at

educated urban voters, has found supporters in the north-western

frontier province that profile writers must remind us is largely tribal andthe front line of the world's war on terror. Khan has led a popular

campaign against drone attacks. He has promised that he will shoot

down drones, look Americans in the eye, sit down with the Taliban over a

cup ofqahwa and sort this mess out.

So we finally have someone who feels at home in Mayfair as well as

Peshawar. He finally has the chance to rule Peshawar. Slight problem: as

he speaks no Pashto, the language of the Pathans. But his first fight will

The culture of masculinity costs all toomuch to ignore

American dies trying to dribble soccer

ball to Brazil

Mayan pyramid bulldozed by road

Comment is free

World news

World news

Pakistan: fatal bom b

attack as election polls

open video

Analysis

Pakistan's Hijras in

polls for first time

Once-ridiculed

transgender communitycan vote and run for

seats in polls following

supreme court decision

recognising them as

'third gender'

What do women want?

Food, freedom and

peace

Pakistan hardlinersabove the law

Female candidates

have bags of

confidence

Imran Khansympathies may help

prospects

A guide to the Pakistan

election

Pakistani prisoner diesin 'revenge attack'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/25/dangerous-masculinty-everyone-riskhttp://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdfhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/12/pakistan-us-drone-strikeshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22190802http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/droneshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/25/dangerous-masculinty-everyone-riskhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/15/american-dies-dribble-soccer-brazilhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/14/mayan-pyramid-bulldozed-road-constructionhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/may/11/pakistan-fatal-bomb-attack-polls-open-videohttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/09/pakistan-transgender-elections-campaign-trailhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2013/may/09/pakistan-election-women-food-freedomhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/10/pakistan-hardliners-maulana-ahmed-ludhianvihttp://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/may/09/pakistan-female-election-candidates-confidencehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/08/imran-khan-fall-pakistan-electionhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/02/guide-to-the-pakistan-electionhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/09/pakistani-prisoner-dies-revenge-attackhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/09/pakistan-transgender-elections-campaign-trailhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/14/mayan-pyramid-bulldozed-road-construction


5/37


be against American drones hovering in the sky. And drones speak no

Pashto either. If Khan can win this match, he can challenge Nawaz Sharif

in the next elections.

Is this Nawaz Sharif man for real?

Nawaz Sharif at a campaign rally in Liaquat Bagh, Pakistan. Photograph: T.MUGHAL/EPA

Hasn't he been tried before? Twice? It seems voters in the largest

province of Pakistani Punjab just can't have enough of this guy. At every

campaign stop, Sharif reminded his supporters of two of his biggest

achievements: I built the motorway, I built the bomb. He did buildPakistan's first motorway. And despite several phone calls from the then

American president Bill Clinton and other world leaders and offers of

million of dollars in aid, Sharif did go ahead and order six nuclear

explosions in response to India's five. And then he thought that now that

both countries have the bomb he could go ahead and be friends with

India. While he was making history hosting the Indian prime minister in

the historic city of Lahore, his generals were busy elsewhere repeating

history on the mountains of Kargil. In a misadventure typical of Pakistani

generals, they occupied the abandoned posts and then pretended that

construction firm

Angelina Jolie has done something

extraordinary

Behind the Candelabra: watch a world

exclusive trailer - video

Comment is free

Film
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/14/mayan-pyramid-bulldozed-road-constructionhttp://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdfhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/droneshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/14/mayan-pyramid-bulldozed-road-constructionhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/14/angelina-jolie-double-mastectomy-womenhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2013/may/14/behind-the-candelabra-trailer-video-steven-soderberghhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/may/14/bp-shell-oil-price-rigginghttp://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/may/14/bp-shell-oil-price-rigging


6/37


these were mujahideen fighting India and not regular Pakistan army

soldiers.

When India reacted with overwhelming force and a diplomatic offensive,

Sharif pleaded ignorance and rushed off to Washington to bail out the

army and his own government. President Clinton praised his diplomatic

skills and the crisis was resolved briefly. When, months later he tried to

fire his handpicked army chiefGeneral Pervez Musharraf, the architect of

the Kargil fiasco, a bunch of army officers put their guns to Sharif's head.Handcuffed, jailed, sentenced to life imprisonment, in the end Sharif was

saved by his powerful friends in Saudi Arabia. A royal jet flew him, his

family and his servants to a palace in Saudi Arabia. An exile in Saudi

Arabia for Muslim rulers is generally considered a permanent ret irement

home where you get closer to Allah and atone for past sins. Sharif must

be the only politician in exile in Saudi Arabia who not only managed to

survive this holy exile but in the process got a hair transplant and

managed to hold on to his political base in Pakistan.

Many of his political opponents say that if Sharif wasn't from thedominant province Punjab, where most of the army elite comes from, if

he didn't represent the trading and business classes of Punjab, he would

still be begging forgiveness for his sins in Saudi. But he returned just

before the last elections and has been behaving like a statesman. A very

rich statesman.

It has yet to be proven whether eight years of exile in Saudi Arabia can

make anyone wiser but it has never made anybody poorer. Sharif was

rich before he got into politics, then he became fabulously rich. Even in

exile the Saudis gave him a palace and, on his return, a fleet ofbulletproof limousines. His campaign proved that poor people don't really

vote for somebody who understands poverty, or wants to do anything

about it. People have voted him in because he talks money, talks about

spending money, talks about opening a bank on every village street and

who doesn't like that? He has promised motorway connections and

airports to towns so small that they still don't have a proper bus station.

Poor people, who couldn't afford a bicycle at the time of the elections,

like to be promised an airport. You never know when you might need it.1.

Last 24 hours

Mayan pyramid

BP and Shell raided after allegations

they colluded to rig oil prices

Our correspondents on Twitter

Follow all the top s tories of the day on Twitter with

the Guardian's world news team

achrisafis: Shocking. Row in France after

MP tweets that thugs at Paris #PSG riot

were "surely descended from slaves"

http://t.co/f3trwANA56 #newsabout 16 hours, 44 minutes ago

achrisafis: Shocking. Row in France after

MP tweets that thugs at Paris #PSG riot

were "surely" descended from slaveshttp://t.co/f3trwANA56 #news

about 16 hours, 47 minutes ago

achrisafis: 30 injured, 21 arrests, #PSGfootball league celebrations turn violent in

central Paris, sparking political row

#newshttp://t.co/PYAfzCT1u4

about 19 hours, 27 minutes ago

Follow all our correspondents on a Twitter list

On World news

Business

Most viewed Latest
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/may/14/bp-shell-oil-price-rigginghttp://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdfhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/pervez-musharrafhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/14/mayan-pyramid-bulldozed-road-constructionhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/may/14/bp-shell-oil-price-rigginghttp://twitter.com/achrisafishttp://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23PSGhttp://t.co/f3trwANA56http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23newshttp://twitter.com/achrisafis/statuses/334292368092172288http://twitter.com/achrisafishttp://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23PSGhttp://t.co/f3trwANA56http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23newshttp://twitter.com/achrisafis/statuses/334291710903463937http://twitter.com/achrisafishttp://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23PSGhttp://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23newshttp://t.co/PYAfzCT1u4http://twitter.com/achrisafis/statuses/334251290727161856http://twitter.com/#!/guardianworld/guardian-foreign-correspondentshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/14/mayan-pyramid-bulldozed-road-construction


7/37


In his five years' rule in Punjab, Sharif's party has had one policy about

the Pakistani Taliban who have been wreaking havoc in parts of

Pakistan: please go and do your business elsewhere. And they have

generally obliged. But now that he is set to rule all of Pakistan, what's he

going to tell them?

Have we defeated the Taliban or sent them a friend request?

A voter displays her inked thum b after marking her bal lot paper at a pol ling s tation inKarachi. Photograph: Athar Huss ain/REUTERS

When Pakistan decided to throw itself an election party, the first ones to

arrive were the Taliban. They weren't really interested in the partybecause they keep reminding us that elections are un-Islamic and a

major sin on a par with educating girls. But they were interested in

watching what party games were played and who got to play them. They

decided that the three political parties that had ruled Pakistan for the

past five years and taken a clear stand against the Taliban would be

targeted. And the Taliban started their own campaign, targeting

candidates and their supporters with bomb attacks and drive-by

shootings. In one case, a candidate in Karachi was shot as he came out

2.

3.

4.

5.

bulldozed by road

construction firm

Syria mutilation footage sparks doubts over

wisdom of backing rebels

Pakistan elections: how Nawaz Sharif beat

Imran Khan and what happens next

American dies trying to dribble soccer ba ll to

Brazil

US attorney general defends AP seizure citingmajor security threat to public

More most viewed
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/14/mayan-pyramid-bulldozed-road-constructionhttp://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdfhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/14/mayan-pyramid-bulldozed-road-constructionhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/14/syria-mutilation-footage-rebels-eathttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khanhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/15/american-dies-dribble-soccer-brazilhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/14/ap-phone-records-subpoena-holderhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/most-viewed/world


8/37


of a mosque. Along with his six-year-old son. The election campaign

across Pakistan looked like this: some parties held huge rallies, in a

carnival-type atmosphere with live tigers and massive music systems.

Other candidates sneaked from one little corner meeting to another

trying to remind people of their heroic stand against the Taliban. Many of

the candidates were never seen in public. Many journalists refused to

visit them because they were sitting targets. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the

public face of the ruling People's party, could only deliver a couple of

video messages from Dubai.

The other parties, the ones who were allowed to campaign freely, were

grateful in their silence. When we look at the election results we must not

forget that while the Pakistani Taliban didn't contest the elections as a

political party, they did see themselves as kingmakers. In Pakistan's

liberal media the Taliban are often described as brutes with an endless

bloodlust. But by making allies and choosing partners they have

demonstrated that they are at least as canny as the average

campaigning politician.

But in the end the Taliban failed to deliver the kind of devastation they

had promised. They managed to kill about 130 people in eight weeks. In

the past they have achieved that kind of number in a single day. Also,

60% of Pakistanis who came out to vote seem to be politely disagreeing

with the Taliban by saying that there is nothing un-Islamic about standing

in a queue and stamping a ballot paper.

The Taliban's real success is that they bet on the winners. They

promised not to attack Khan and Sharif's parties. And these parties will

be in power. But the Taliban have never contested an election before.And they are soon to find out that politicians never keep the promises

they make during the heat of the campaign.

Why does this election mean nothing for Farzana Majeed?
http://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdf


9/37

df d mi b PRO i Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

Pakistani voters line up at a poll ing s tation in Karachi. Photograph: Athar

Hussain/Reuters

Three weeks before the elections, a 27-year-old biochemistry graduatestood outside Karachi Press club. Farzana Majeed and a couple of

dozen young people carried pictures of Zakir Majeed, a literature student

who was abducted by Pakistan's military intelligence four years ago and

since then has become one of the hundreds of missing Baloch people,

mostly young, political activists. Their mutilated, tortured bodies turn up

on the roadside with sickening regularity. The Pakistani media, otherwise

quite noisy about every subject under the sun, stay quiet. None of the

political parties campaigning in recent elections uttered a word about

Zakir Majeed or hundreds of other people languishing in military-rundungeons. Why? Because it's a security issue. A militant separatist

movement in parts of Balochistan means that the rest of Pakistan sees it

as an enemy. The protesters distributed pamphlets encouraging the

fellow Balochs not to participate in the elections. The voter turn out in

Baloch areas in Balochistan has been less than 10%. No political party in

the country had the heart to go and ask Farzana Majeed or thousands of

other families to vote. Farzana is a polite, articulate person but mention

the word elections and she is likely to wave her missing brother's picture
http://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdfhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/29/balochistan-pakistans-secret-dirty-war


10/37

df di b PRO i Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

in front of you. And just like Pakistan's last political government, the new

one also doesn't want to see this picture.

So what happens to the federation?

Watching the election results com e in, in a teashop in Lahore. Photograph: Damir

Sagolj/REUTERS

Who needs a federation when you can have so much more fun doing

things your own way. So in the post-election Pakistan, Khan will rule the

north and shoot down American drones while discussing Scandinavian

social welfare models with the Taliban. Sharif will rule in Punjab and the

centre, try to do business with India and build more motorways all the

while looking over his shoulder for generals looking at him. In the south,

Bhutto's decimated People's party will keep ruling and keep saying that

folks up north are stealing its water, destroying its social welfare

programmes and secular legacy. And, in Balochistan, Farzana Majeed

will keep waving her missing brother's picture.

Do these bits add up to a country? They do, if you are sitting in

Islamabad and showing off your nuclear weapons to the world or

planning a motorway to central Asia. But if you are an old woman waiting
http://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdf


11/37

df di b PRO i A d l ? T t th HTML t PDF API

What's this?More from the Guardian

My boyfriend says my vagina is repulsive 12 May 2013

Netanyahu flies into turbulence over $127,000 bed onplane 12 May 2013

Pakistan: change of guard 13 May 2013

The Great Gatsby - review 14 May 2013

Nawaz Sharif hopes for third time lucky as Pakistan's

PM 12 May 2013

What's this?More from around the web

Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities in America(Parenting.com)

How I Started Learning Python (Rackspace)

North Korea's 3G Experiment Might Be Over

(TechNewsWorld)

2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid: Prius Killer? CNET On Cars

Episode 8 (CNET)

The birth of a global currency (Business Without

Borders)

for her 2,000-rupee welfare cheque or a student activist in a military

dungeon waiting for your next interrogation session, you are not likely to

dream of motorways and new airports.

Pakistan as a federation has gone through its first rite of passage:

handover of power from one elected civilian setup to another. It took

Pakistan 67 years to get here. Let us not forget that the reasons that

caused this delay haven't disappeared.

Mohammed Hanif is BBC Urdu's special correspondent based in Karachi.He is the author of A Case of Exploding Mangoes and Our Lady of Alice

Bhatti

Tweet Email

Get the Guardian's daily US email

Our editors' picks for the day's top news andcommentary delivered to your inbox each m orning.

Sign up for the daily email

Share Share
http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdfhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/may/12/boyfriend-says-my-vagina-is-repulsivehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/12/netanyahu-turbulence-127000-bed-planehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/13/leader-comment-nawaz-sharif-pakistan-politicshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/may/14/great-gatsby-review-canneshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/12/nawaz-sharif-pakistan-pmhttp://www.parenting.com/gallery/most-dangerous-cities-in-america-2012http://www.rackspace.com/blog/how-i-started-learning-python/http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/77638.htmlhttp://reviews.cnet.com/coupe-hatchback/2013-ford-c-max/4505-10867_7-35426711.htmlhttp://www.businesswithoutborders.com/industries/finance-industries/the-birth-of-a-global-currency/https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Fworld%2F2013%2Fmay%2F13%2Fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&related=guardiang2&text=Pakistan%20elections%3A%20how%20Nawaz%20Sharif%20beat%20Imran%20Khan%20and%20what%20happens%20next&tw_p=tweetbutton&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgu.com%2Fp%2F3fz67%2Ftw&via=guardianhttps://id.guardian.co.uk/email/subscribe?emailListId=1493http://www.facebook.com/dialog/feed?app_id=180444840287&link=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&display=popup&redirect_uri=http://static-serve.appspot.com/static/facebook-share/callback.html&show_error=false&ref=desktop


12/37

df di b PRO i A d l ? T t th HTML t PDF API

Ads by Google

BAR & BAT Mitzvah Teacher

Affordable, personalized one-on-one teacher with 21 years experience

www.westchesterhebrewtutor.com

Bar & Bat Mitzvah Lessons

Hebrew tutoring and services in pers on or via video chat.

barbatmitzvahlessons.com

ant to Learn Arabic?

Learn Arabic Fast. Fun Lessons. Over 200,000,000 Lessons Delivered!

www.Arabicpod101.com/Learn

Prev Next

Open for comments. Sign in orcreate your Guardian account to join the discussion.

95 comments. Showing 50 conversations, sorted oldest first

1 2

SM1982

This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn't abide by ourcommunity standards. Replies may also be deleted. For more detail see ourFAQs.

13 May 2013 8:00pm

Leviathan212

This article is working on incomplete information.

Why didn't Imran win? Well, the massive vote-rigging might have something to dowith it.

Pakistan's independent election monitor has just released a list of almost 50polling stations where the turnout was over 100%, i.e. more "votes" cast than the

13 May 2013 8:10pm203
http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/4227195http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/4227195http://www.guardian.co.uk/community-standardshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/community-faqshttps://id.guardian.co.uk/signin?returnUrl=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khanhttps://id.guardian.co.uk/register?returnUrl=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khanhttp://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdfhttp://www.google.com/url?ct=abg&q=https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/request.py%3Fcontact%3Dabg_afc%26url%3Dhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan%26gl%3DUS%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dca-guardian_js%26hideleadgen%3D1%26ai0%3DCNny0-CGTUb7fGM2-6gGXoYHoCbiZ2NsDyKqEhVnAjbcBEAEghbvoDygDUOX-meD7_____wFgyQbIAQGoAwGqBKcBT9BujVPkVOZhBB1TJ0xKGXVfmSF-JE623LHqKYffA9MqgiXG2tXV3KLnimOiSsQY_32BkDDZ4OJpmSYp90Tai9cX3kPs3nndTGfRt7NJXcWjqrpm0SLwx_qijK7sz2CDOsE9yq7HlcHyZnSBbwCPVtRxIJKP1fvQKwz5XZIhnxqvHwktS-lkBJmWL8wDny6TRvbCwuT8AKLGbEtdf8Owbhoz0xUBMPSAB4CzljM%26ai1%3DCZEq7-CGTUb7fGM2-6gGXoYHoCfDJwEmsqdrRCcCNtwEQAiCFu-gPKANQzJHBwP3_____AWDJBsgBAagDAaoEpAFP0D6UUORX5mEEHVMnTEoZdV-ZIX4kTrbcseoph98D0yqCJcba1dXcoueKY6JKxBj_fYGQMNng4mmZJin3RNqL1xfeQ-zeed1MZ9G3s0ldxaOqumbRIvDH-qKMruzPYIM6wT3KrseVwfJmdIFvAI9W1HEgko_V-5grs6K2bhx_hmD01BpL6frvchu8IPUMKmZF8jfB0CkDkhNvS-h8wxBolBVIpIAH8J38CQ%26ai2%3DCKL3F-CGTUb7fGM2-6gGXoYHoCd_SuLQCz8z3mFDAjbcBEAMghbvoDygDUPOz1cgDYMkGoAHRnP_yA8gBAagDAaoEpwFP0B7hWeRW5mEEHVMnTEoZdV-ZIX4kTrbcseoph98D0yqCJcba1dXcoueKY6JKxBj_fYGQMNng4mmZJin3RNqL1xfeQ-zeed1MZ9G3s0ldxaOqumbRIvDH-qKMruzPYIM6wT3KrseVwfJmdIFvAI9W1HEgko_V-9ArDPldvVuica8fCS1L6WQEmZYvzAOfLpNG9sLC5PwAosZsS11_w7BuGjPTIgwjyYAHl-OADQ&usg=AFQjCNEEiJvCGIi8apH3MZv5oR51HokPfAhttp://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=L&ai=CNny0-CGTUb7fGM2-6gGXoYHoCbiZ2NsDyKqEhVnAjbcBEAEghbvoDygDUOX-meD7_____wFgyQbIAQGoAwGqBKcBT9BujVPkVOZhBB1TJ0xKGXVfmSF-JE623LHqKYffA9MqgiXG2tXV3KLnimOiSsQY_32BkDDZ4OJpmSYp90Tai9cX3kPs3nndTGfRt7NJXcWjqrpm0SLwx_qijK7sz2CDOsE9yq7HlcHyZnSBbwCPVtRxIJKP1fvQKwz5XZIhnxqvHwktS-lkBJmWL8wDny6TRvbCwuT8AKLGbEtdf8Owbhoz0xUBMPSAB4CzljM&num=1&sig=AOD64_1aSEfy00VLj9x6_q3IE8C5w1mljA&client=ca-guardian_js&adurl=http://www.westchesterhebrewtutor.comhttp://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=L&ai=CNny0-CGTUb7fGM2-6gGXoYHoCbiZ2NsDyKqEhVnAjbcBEAEghbvoDygDUOX-meD7_____wFgyQbIAQGoAwGqBKcBT9BujVPkVOZhBB1TJ0xKGXVfmSF-JE623LHqKYffA9MqgiXG2tXV3KLnimOiSsQY_32BkDDZ4OJpmSYp90Tai9cX3kPs3nndTGfRt7NJXcWjqrpm0SLwx_qijK7sz2CDOsE9yq7HlcHyZnSBbwCPVtRxIJKP1fvQKwz5XZIhnxqvHwktS-lkBJmWL8wDny6TRvbCwuT8AKLGbEtdf8Owbhoz0xUBMPSAB4CzljM&num=1&sig=AOD64_1aSEfy00VLj9x6_q3IE8C5w1mljA&client=ca-guardian_js&adurl=http://www.westchesterhebrewtutor.comhttp://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=L&ai=CZEq7-CGTUb7fGM2-6gGXoYHoCfDJwEmsqdrRCcCNtwEQAiCFu-gPKANQzJHBwP3_____AWDJBsgBAagDAaoEpAFP0D6UUORX5mEEHVMnTEoZdV-ZIX4kTrbcseoph98D0yqCJcba1dXcoueKY6JKxBj_fYGQMNng4mmZJin3RNqL1xfeQ-zeed1MZ9G3s0ldxaOqumbRIvDH-qKMruzPYIM6wT3KrseVwfJmdIFvAI9W1HEgko_V-5grs6K2bhx_hmD01BpL6frvchu8IPUMKmZF8jfB0CkDkhNvS-h8wxBolBVIpIAH8J38CQ&num=2&sig=AOD64_1Oke67ezWFntrjSEpCE83Xkuq7Og&client=ca-guardian_js&adurl=http://barbatmitzvahlessons.comhttp://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=L&ai=CZEq7-CGTUb7fGM2-6gGXoYHoCfDJwEmsqdrRCcCNtwEQAiCFu-gPKANQzJHBwP3_____AWDJBsgBAagDAaoEpAFP0D6UUORX5mEEHVMnTEoZdV-ZIX4kTrbcseoph98D0yqCJcba1dXcoueKY6JKxBj_fYGQMNng4mmZJin3RNqL1xfeQ-zeed1MZ9G3s0ldxaOqumbRIvDH-qKMruzPYIM6wT3KrseVwfJmdIFvAI9W1HEgko_V-5grs6K2bhx_hmD01BpL6frvchu8IPUMKmZF8jfB0CkDkhNvS-h8wxBolBVIpIAH8J38CQ&num=2&sig=AOD64_1Oke67ezWFntrjSEpCE83Xkuq7Og&client=ca-guardian_js&adurl=http://barbatmitzvahlessons.comhttp://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=l&ai=CKL3F-CGTUb7fGM2-6gGXoYHoCd_SuLQCz8z3mFDAjbcBEAMghbvoDygDUPOz1cgDYMkGoAHRnP_yA8gBAagDAaoEpwFP0B7hWeRW5mEEHVMnTEoZdV-ZIX4kTrbcseoph98D0yqCJcba1dXcoueKY6JKxBj_fYGQMNng4mmZJin3RNqL1xfeQ-zeed1MZ9G3s0ldxaOqumbRIvDH-qKMruzPYIM6wT3KrseVwfJmdIFvAI9W1HEgko_V-9ArDPldvVuica8fCS1L6WQEmZYvzAOfLpNG9sLC5PwAosZsS11_w7BuGjPTIgwjyYAHl-OADQ&num=3&sig=AOD64_37T57-2GbZ8gTmFEcqL8nHYwt3XA&client=ca-guardian_js&adurl=http://www.arabicpod101.com/%3Fsrc%3Dgc_LearnArabic2_Content_learn%2520arabic_21446895871_www.guardian.co.ukhttp://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=l&ai=CKL3F-CGTUb7fGM2-6gGXoYHoCd_SuLQCz8z3mFDAjbcBEAMghbvoDygDUPOz1cgDYMkGoAHRnP_yA8gBAagDAaoEpwFP0B7hWeRW5mEEHVMnTEoZdV-ZIX4kTrbcseoph98D0yqCJcba1dXcoueKY6JKxBj_fYGQMNng4mmZJin3RNqL1xfeQ-zeed1MZ9G3s0ldxaOqumbRIvDH-qKMruzPYIM6wT3KrseVwfJmdIFvAI9W1HEgko_V-9ArDPldvVuica8fCS1L6WQEmZYvzAOfLpNG9sLC5PwAosZsS11_w7BuGjPTIgwjyYAHl-OADQ&num=3&sig=AOD64_37T57-2GbZ8gTmFEcqL8nHYwt3XA&client=ca-guardian_js&adurl=http://www.arabicpod101.com/%3Fsrc%3Dgc_LearnArabic2_Content_learn%2520arabic_21446895871_www.guardian.co.ukhttp://discussion.guardian.co.uk/discussion/p/3fz67?orderby=oldest&commentpage=2&per_page=50http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/discussion/p/3fz67?orderby=oldest&commentpage=2&per_page=50https://id.guardian.co.uk/signin?returnUrl=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khanhttps://id.guardian.co.uk/register?returnUrl=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khanhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/11509901http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/11509901http://www.guardian.co.uk/community-standardshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/community-faqshttp://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23508872http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/4227195http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/4227195http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23509165


13/37df di b PRO i

Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

.

And, of course, this is apart from the various instances of voter intimidation, tearingup of ballots, returning officers running away with ballot boxes, not opening pollingstations, etc, etc, etc.

Would Imran have won if there had been no rigging? Probably not. But, he wouldhave easily won 20 - 30 more seats. Take away 30 seats from Sharif's total andadd 30 seats to Imran's, and all of a sudden, you have a completely differentpicture than what this article suggests.

And, in that picture, Imran emerges as the only politician who had somesemblance of nation-wide support (albeit in urban areas). Even without the rigging,Imran's is the only party that may have won seats in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad,and Peshawar. No other party can say that.

WhyIsThisSoHard

@Leviathan212 - 20-30 in your opinion. Sounds like gross exaggerationto me. 50 polling stations is a very small number. What is that as apercentage of total polling stations? I'm guessing total polling stationsnumber in the 10s of thousands. So not even 1%. Real evidence of*massive* rigging is simply not there. By alleging *massive* rigging PTIis being unfair to the millions who voted for PML-N and will not bewinning any fans for doing this.

14 May 2013 7:15am24

Mahmood Akhtar

@WhyIsThisSoHard - There were over 69500 polling stations in wholePakistan.

14 May 2013 7:38am

14

78comments14 May 2013 12:04pm

16

@L i th 212 "Thi ti l i ki i l t i f ti "
http://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdfhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/11640723http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/11640723http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23518471http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/10390997http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/10390997http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23518764http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/10139285http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/10139285http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23525943


14/37df di b PRO iAre you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

@Leviathan212 - "This article is working on incomplete information"

Its the same for most stories coming from this region of the world fromso-called journalists and writers on this and many other news outlets.

But one thing you have to remember is that the actual truth is a squarepeg and the stories that need to be told in the west for political capitalare a round hole.

The truth does not suit certain people and therefore certain writers likeMr Hanif are drafted in because they are selling what the editor wants toread.

Thus ends lesson 1.

Naushad Moti

@Leviathan212 -

There were total of 15000 polling station all over pakistan not 69500..

Now see, what IK has not done to get the votes. IK did not go to ruralareas which comprises 60% of our population. Most of the problems atthe moment in Pakistan are urban based. Rural populations have all thefacilities in life so convincing them to vote him is not a big deal.Secondly, IK denounced Taliban but did not want to attack them eventhough they are killing us like butchers and this has been a negativepublicity for him right for the start. Third, he wants to cut ties with the US(by getting out of the so called war) which would cut Pakistan from restof the countries because every one knows US is the father at themoment. Fourth, he said he is not going to take any funds from other

countries. This sounds good at the hind side but considering theeconomy of Pakistan at the moment (thanks to Mr Zardari), Pak needsto take immediate loan from IMF and other countries in order to survivethe adverse.

There are few positives as well. He wants to spend in education andhealth and wants people to pay taxes which is good for pakistan. Nowconsidering the fact that pakistan is in such a mess and having a lot ofproblem, it is much better for him to sit in opposition and seekexperience. Also make sure Nawaz does a good work this time. He has

14 May 2013 2:51pm10

people hat he is capable of On the other hand na a is good
http://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdfhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/11867669http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/11867669http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23531848


15/37df di b PRO iAre you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

people what he is capable of. On the other hand, nawaz is goodbusinessman and he will thrive economy of Pakistan (stocks already ona high and industrialist are happy too) so economically, it is good for us.Times have changed and nawaz has matured a lot and that is why he isletting IK make govt in KPK. There fore, these were good elections.

Also, only nawaz has got something to crush MQM and their activitiesand may be after some consideration, he will take action against themand therefore he is good for Karachiites.

On the hind side, if he fails, IK has opportunity to go to urban population

and convince them to vote for him. So these were all simple arguments.Now lets come to some politics. IK is immature politic ians and peoplearound him are inexperienced (Arif Alvi) or incapable (Qureshi). The onlymature politician he has is Javed Hashmi and therefore he wonconvincingly. Now lets consider PML-N perspective here, the partycomprises of seasoned politicians not only that, most of their politicianswould always win on their name (because of feudalistic background) fore.g., ahsan iqbal, chaudary nisar, and many others regardless of beingin PML-N or any party. These are the people who would win even theycontest independently, whereas all the seats PTI has got are under thename of IK only and nothing else. So political maturity is important.Rigging is a problem but regardless of rigging, PML-N's ties with rural

population are stronger than ever thanks to Mr Shahbaz Sharif (themastermind). PTI needs to find people like that. Also the more sensiblething at the moment for PTI would be to sit in the opposition and makesure the next elections are not paper based and therefore outclass anyrigging problems they may have. MQM is a naughty party and needs todefeated politically and nothing else. I know people are hurt butsensibility suggest PML-N has won easily and deserve to makegovernment.

I hope this clears something. Sorry for such a long message but weneed to understand as a nation. May be I am wrong and your politicalintelligence might change my point of view :)

Regards,

soothsayer7

@Naushad Moti -

14 May 2013 3:06pm6

M t f th bl t th t i P ki t b
http://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdfhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/4504670http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/4504670http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23532337


16/37

Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

Most of the problems at the moment in Pakistan are urbanbased. Rural populations have all the facilities in life soconvincing them to vote him is not a big deal.

Are you serious?

Also, is not Imran's anti-US stand one of his st rongest resonating pointswith the voters of Pakistan?

Waqas Mohsin

@WhyIsThisSoHard - while I voted for PTI, I am firmly of the view that thepublic at large has given its overwhelming support to PML-N. It is forthem to perform and above all, bring in "good governance". PTI needs tolearn the art of parliamentary politics and nothing better than playing therole of a proper opposition. PTI got more than 10 million votes which isno mean achievement at all. They have got a chance to show theirmettle by (hopefully) doing well in KPK as well.Having said that, there was one area where the will of the people was by& large simply NOT allowed to be show and that is Karachi. There wasmassive and blatant rigging and REAL steps need to be taken to ensurethat this is not repeated

14 May 2013 3:13pm7

Kalandar

This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn't abide byourcommunity standards. Replies may also be deleted. For more detailsee our FAQs.

14 May 2013 6:45pm

fialafolle

Why? Why must after any article about Pakistan must there be an Indian posterraving on about the mistake that was partition.Let. It. Go. Please.

13 May 2013 8:18pm113
http://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdfhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/11505896http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/11505896http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23532580http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/4296545http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/4296545http://www.guardian.co.uk/community-standardshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/community-faqshttp://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23539108http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/3840609http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/3840609http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23509382


17/37

pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

hamdard

Well said. They sound like the bitter twisted partner who won't move onafter a divorce

13 May 2013 8:41pm71

Ali Silver

@fialafolle - Can I be a Pakistani poster raving on about the mistake thatwas the partition?

14 May 2013 4:09am37

soothsayer7

@fialafolle -

The partition was a mistake, but from Pakistan's perspective, not India's.

Apart from the Markandey Katju and the Indians who had ancestralhomes in Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi, I do not think there is currentlyanyone from the east of the border who is really keen on a unification.

14 May 2013 3:09pm

11

Ugovin

@soothsayer7 -

I believe India is one of the World's top ten economies with good doctorsand hospitals.It is like both developing and developed countries have benefited fromIndia's migrant intellectuals and professionals like the NHS and

14 May 2013 7:33pm1

.
http://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdfhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/2420341http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/2420341http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23509984http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/11865712http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/11865712http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23517158http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/4504670http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/4504670http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23532437http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/3116595http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/3116595http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23540281


18/37


Shaheryar Khan

Indeed a good article. but you forget to comment on MQM. I hope it was moreunintentional then fear of guns...

13 May 2013 9:28pm70

KhusroK

@Shaheryar Khan - I assure you Sir, that it is not "unintentional" orforgetfulness.

14 May 2013 7:44pm3

Tahir16

PPP and ANP lost miserably not because the Taliban did not let them campaignbut because of their poor performance. They failed to deliver and suffered, assimple as that.PTI could have done better in elections but, firstly, they were unfamilier with thedynamics of Pakistan style elections and, secondly, gave unrealistic policies andmade policies they could not fulfill. Results are a blessing in disguise for IK as itwould have been very difficult for him to fulfill his promises e.g he promisedwithdrawal of forces from FATA. Practically it meant handing over FATA to Taliban(So far, over 3500 soldiers/ officers have embraced shahadat to maintain their

presence in FATA / Swat).

13 May 2013 10:02pm27

jampudding

@Tahir16 - "gave unrealistic policies and made policies they could notfulfill" - if you think that policies have anything to do with voting patterns

14 May 2013 11:26pm

country


19/37


country.

AmnaBatul

there was no such thing as free and fair elections in Pakistan, I casted my vote andin my constituency only my polling station had ballot papers with other necessities

in other stations polling didn't start it is still unknown when are we havingreelections in my constituency which is lucrative to political parties. There is apolitical leader who has taken asylum in London his party won in Karachi by riggingthey were stamping on vote sheets non stop and they were harassing women tocast vote for their party if they refused these goons would tore the vote sheet andstamp by force. We demand justice and re elections in most part of the country asmost of the people in this country was voting for PTI IMRAN KHAN how come theend results were different? This party MQM they won election in Karachi throughrigging people have made videos of live rigging yet the ECP has stayed quite theyare not taking any action we want justice as those who never came out to vote didcome out this time for their rights ECP is discouraging them by not listening totheir constant rigging complains. I am disheartened as I casted my vote for the first

time I am 23 if again in future we have these kind of unfair elections I will never castmy vote again. I know people who have been harassed and threatened I knowMANY underage kids who can't vote legally each of them have cast 10 to 17 voteseach WHAT IS THIS ? do you call this free and fair election.?

13 May 2013 10:06pm49

jampudding

@AmnaBatul - my sister lives in Karachi although not able to vote sheverified your account of vote rigging very sad.

14 May 2013 11:28pm

imtiazmahmood

Facts written as beautiful narrative.

13 May 2013 10:35pm28


20/37


KhusroK

@imtiazmahmood - "Facts.." ????

14 May 2013 7:45pm1

ID9877673

so comprehensive....Leaving no speck out...Neutral and Beautiful

13 May 2013 11:13pm 9

Afee

Although I could not stop reading the wonderful piece you have written, but I wouldlike to remind readers that there is one fact completely ignored here, in factmisleadingly. Majority of people who voted for Nawaz did not have pragmaticevaluation of his past two runs. They were not even voting for him. They belong totheir feudal lords who joined his wagon. Look at Mr. Dusty who win without histicket on two seats. The dynamics of Pakistani politics is feudal, Makhdooms,chowdharies and Sardars have vote banks, you chose the ones who have biggervotebank and your party win. Mr. Nawaz is proven "champion of this horse trading,"so he won. Saying it was Imrans message too vague to people who don't even hearit is wrong. His message was clear but it never reached to the bottom of the pitwhere most of the votes come from.

13 May 2013 11:41pm45

Caspian2

@Afee - very true.

Consider this: Nawaz Sharif sacked General Musharraf when Musharraf

14 May 2013 11:26am27

. .Nawaz Sharif ordered that the plane - a commercial plane with 200


21/37


p pcivilians on board - should not be allowed to land. It did land, with a near-empty fuel tank - but only after the army took the airport.

What other population would people re-elect a man who is willing to dicewith the lives of 200 people as part of a power struggle? Only a woefullyundereducated and exploited one.

Chris Huhne should consider a career in Pakistani politics - next to theaverage Pakistani politician, lying about a driving offence would look

positively saintly.

Afee

Pakistan will change, the seed of that change has been sawn in this campaign byPTI, educating the masses that they are trapped in feudal servitude and tobreakaway from it is to break the cycle of two ruling fiefdoms PPP and PML.

13 May 2013 11:45pm30

husnaindj

After a long time someone has given me a food for thought beside rigging! ...

14 May 2013 12:03am8

Afeef Abdullah

Nawaz did not win the election, his brother did a great job making sure he wins justlike Jeb Bush did for his brother in Florida.

14 May 2013 12:35am26

Shehla Kamal14 May 2013 1:21am

46

pakistani 'secular liberal' journalists and writers. You dont analyse a person only by
http://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdfhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/3064202http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/3064202http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23514502http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/11865299http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/11865299http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23514850http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/10228714http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/10228714http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23515365http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/10759275http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23515946http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/10759275


22/37


their campaign rhetoric but by their record, personal integrity and facts. the realityof this election has nothing to do with what was SAID ....people just voted onfeudal/ethnic allegiance and even though sharif would have still have a major lead ,the election was heavily rigged. the limited 'educated" people that we have werelimited even further by being robbed off their vote. show some judgement ,someopinion other than well-crafted and pointless sarcasm.

BlueCollar

@Mohaama Hanif (Guardian) - Your giving credit to Nawaz Sharif about nuclearexplosions by Pak scientists is completely irrelevant & untrue . He would not haveordered nuclear explosion, it was Pak army that forced him to do it.Lucky forPakistan.

14 May 2013 2:52am17

KhusroK

@BlueCollar - Mr Mohammad Hanif does not deal in "facts"; he writes"fairy tales" for his "friends".

14 May 2013 7:48pm 3

HassanZaheer

Beautiful article by my childhood friend but there were certain positive aspects ofsociety which emerged during last two years or so, kindly enlighten world withthose as well in the future.

14 May 2013 3:14am10

hobot

This election victory for the most corrupt and destructive politician in Pakistan's

14 May 2013 5:14am6

, .pride and arrogance it doesn't even try to conceal itself anymore
http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/10759275http://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdfhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/4279986http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/4279986http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23516719http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/2316804http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/2316804http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23540631http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/11865613http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/11865613http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23516865http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/3286853http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23517527


23/37


pride and arrogance, it doesn t even try to conceal itself anymore.

Suprah_

"The voter turn out in Baloch areas in Balochistan has been less than 10%."

Sorry Hanif sahib, I respectfully disagree with this timid and ridiculous claim. Oneonly has to go through the ECP website with official declared results fromBalochistan to realise that this claim is an exaggeration.

http://www.ecp.gov.pk/electionresult/AllResults.aspx?assemblyid=PB

If Baloch areas of Balochistan really had a less than 10% turnout, thenconstituencies of Chagai, Sibi, Kacchi, Lasbela, and even restive Khuzdar wouldnot have hovered above the 50% mark! Other Baloch constituencies like DeraBugti, Kohlu, Quetta, Gwadar, Nushki, Kalat, Mastung etc also averaged a'respectable' 30-35%.

Only the two trouble ridden districts of Panjgur and Kech (in Makran region) hadthe 5-10% turnout ratio and ECP has had no qualms to show it.

And that is only because we have Dr Allah Nazar's BLF operating there and BLFhas shown to be the most violent and dangerous terrorist group in Balochistan.Feel free to ask Ahmar Mustikhan and Malik Siraj Akbar about it. Why wouldn't analready small constituency be scared of an ultra-violent group?

I am sorry to disappoint you, but the claims of BNF, BNM, BLM, BRP, and yourfavourites BSO-Azad & VBMP tend to be ridiculously wrong. You are a wonderfulwriter, a great researcher, but please don't manipulate facts.

14 May 2013 5:22am22

Jenniferbloom

The geopolitical gravity of the Pakistani election situation has been explained bypolitical sc ientist Asimov Arifov, attached with French High Academy, in his latestarticle/post:http://asimovarifov.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/elections-in-pakistan-a-trajectory-for-gen-kayani/

14 May 2013 5:36am
http://pdfcrowd.com/http://pdfcrowd.com/redirect/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guardian.co.uk%2fworld%2f2013%2fmay%2f13%2fpakistan-elections-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan&id=ma-130515014948-11d3dd24http://pdfcrowd.com/customize/http://pdfcrowd.com/html-to-pdf-api/?ref=pdfhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/11865812http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/11865812http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23517569http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/11575920http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/11575920http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23517639


24/37


Nafisa Rizvi

Hanif, You demolished your credibility when you started your little story aboutsome "wise" man who held the mandate of his people. There's never been anysuch person

14 May 2013 5:47am17

KhusroK

@Nafisa Rizvi -

Hanif, You demolished your credibility

"Credibility"Mr Mohammad Hanif has to have this thing before it can bedemolished...

14 May 2013 7:51pm3

Myra Khan

Very powerful writing again by Hanif. It is a great analysis, but it would have beenstronger if he had mentioned Nawaz Sharif's 1997 corruption fiasco and linking thatinto how Pakistani culture tends to overlook certain historical moments in apolitician's life.

I still find it surprising that despite Nawaz Sharif not making any public apologyabout his corruption, or saying that he had changed he won.

It shows that certain Pakistani cultural tendencies don't really fully understand theconcepts of what their rights are, and what politicians should and shouldn't be.People were simply not outraged enough by his corruption to hold that against him.People were not angry enough at the current state of affairs of Pakistan, becausemany, even the poor, have accepted their fate as always being in lower socio-economic classes (and with airports).

14 May 2013 5:52am17

Pakistan, there is just acceptance of Pakistan as what it is, but maybe a littlebetter and shinier There isn't hope for a great transformative move towards justice


25/37


better and shinier. There isn t hope for a great, transformative move towards justice.It's just towards money.

Myra Khan

@Myra Khan - *coupled.

14 May 2013 5:54am

soothsayer7

@Myra Khan -

A politician publicly admitting to corruption and apologizing for it? In theIndian subcontinet - the motherland of corruption?

You may as well start believing in the tooth fairy if you think there is anychance of that happening.

14 May 2013 3:18pm2

KhusroK

@Myra Khan - Mr Mohammad Hanif writes to a brief and isnecessarily choosy when it comes to "facts"..

14 May 2013 7:53pm2

nobelsyed

Solid piece. Hard to quibble with most of the narrative but should have mentionedblatant manipulation in Karachi by MQM thugs which kept well-heeled Karachiteswaiting in the sun for far too long (updating status and tweeting) Their phones

14 May 2013 6:10am14


26/37

15 May 2013 5:35am
http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/user/id/4140165http://discussion.guardian.co.uk/comment-permalink/23548123


27/37


@KhusroK - True, though I can tell you as someone born in Pakistan,but raised from early childhood in the U.S., it's very ugly and not fulfilling.

Aasiph Bashir

Another attempt to malign Pakistan. This article entails that Pakistan is a freakshow where nobody knows nothing.

A typical BBC story. How about some BBC/guardian jar-head exposes a Britishnational threatening to break Pakistan into pieces?

No BBC Urdu or Punjabi or Hebrew jack-ass will write this story. Khan and NS bothwill help grow Pakistan. In your face western media.

14 May 2013 8:05am18

Haroon Mirza

This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn't abide by ourcommunity standards. Replies may also be deleted. For more detail see ourFAQs.

14 May 2013 8:12am

saleha44

Interesting article, but it seems to work on the assumption that the Pakistanipeople are idiots who won't learn from their mistakes. Maybe Nawaz's win hadsomething to do with familiarity, experience and speeches that d

Documents

How Nawaz Sharif beat Imran Khan and what happens next