ISLAMABAD: As the general elections 2024 are knocking the doors, a large number of natives residing in the federal capital have moved to their inbred towns to become a part of election festivity, taking advantage of the long-holidays announced by the educational institutions.
Despite facility of changing vote stations being provided by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to facilitate the voters, still a majority of the natives prefer to cast their votes in their respective areas to show the strength of fraternity system which is not only a source of pride for them but also play an important role in the selection of political candidates.
As fraternity system is deep rooted in the social fabric of Pakistan and showing fraternal strength and pride during such events like elections is very significant, the voters of rural areas still prefer to vote according to their community decisions rather supporting someone based on their own will or pursuing the rightful decision.
Shafeeq-ur-Rehman, a government employee based in the federal capital for the last 20 years, said that although we are inhabitants of Islamabad and I can cast my vote through the postal ballot facility but after the period of five years, we are getting an opportunity to show our fraternity strength so I am preferring to go to my native town to cast my vote to a unanimously decided candidate.
He said that the fraternity system always connects with our roots and help carrying forward our mutual legacies. “Election also brings an opportunity to reconnect and have long conversations in election offices with those people who we miss due to our busy daily routine”.
Asfandyar Khan, who is a native of Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said, “For us, the election festivity is not merely limited to the polling day but it starts from the day when various candidates of different political parties visit us in “Hujras” where all the elders of the community sits and decide to show support to the mutually agreed candidate after a long deliberation”.
“When we select any candidate through a mutual decision of the community, we can make them accountable for what they promised before getting votes in the election. We can also press the candidate, if he or she wins the elections, to execute the development projects for the betterment of our area and wellbeing of the people”.
Amina Farrukh, a young voter said, “Despite insisting my father to transfer our votes to the nearest polling stations, my father still is reluctant to do so and we had to travel to our native town in Jamshoro, Sindh which takes a lot time and expense which is not practical”.
“But this year luckily we had ten-day long vacations coupled by clear weather, this travel will bring an opportunity to enjoy our vacations and have some fun time with our relatives,” she said.
Although social media has not only impacted the political discourse of the country but also political choices of the voters especially youth but still ingrained family systems in our culture largely affects the political decisions and choices of voters.
