Protests Protect Pakistan as Elections Fought Hard | News from the world

Protesters marched through the streets of Pakistan's mighty military headquarters in an unprecedented show of challenge before a delicate election on Wednesday that the armed forces and its ISI spying agency are accused of manipulating.

of the weekend protest in Rawalpindi but the footage circulated quickly via WhatsApp. Clips show a crowded crowd blocking the path of a pickup truck full of soldiers, then following her down the street, as protesters throw their arms in the air and shout "Khalai Makhlooq dead", a Common euphemism for intelligence The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said that state security agencies were obstructing the party's re-election campaign, during which it faces the opposition. 39; Pakistan's former Cricket Player Tejreek from Imran Khan. -e-Insaf (PTI).

The party claims that a series of court cases and pressure on the support media come to avenge its efforts to reduce the military power in power over the past five years. In recent weeks, polls show that the popularity of the PML-N is plummeting for rivals.

Party supporters in Rawalpindi reacted Saturday to the conviction of a local PML-N candidate four days before the vote. Earlier, a judge claimed that ISI agents had leaned on the Supreme Court to punish PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, who had been jailed this month for corruption. [196519002] "ISI approached my chief justice and said that we do not want Sharif and his daughter to go out [of prison] before the polls," said Shaukat Siddiqui, who himself faces accusations of corruption. Sunday ordered an inquiry into the claims. Rawalpindi's protests brought fresh vitriol to the Punjab, the largest, richest and traditionally most pro-military of the four Pakistani provinces

Daniyal Aziz, a former PML-N cabinet member who was disqualified. to stand in the election for contempt of court, told the Guardian that the perception of military interference could destabilize the region, whose population of 110 million inhabitants has long favored the PML- N

"The anchor [of Pakistan’s stability] was Punjab," he said, comparing the situation to the tribal areas administered by the federal government and Baluchistan, where dissent was historically canceled by a riposte heavy military. " These actions against the PML-N cause this breakup, "he said, adding," This will continue to worsen "if the PML-N loses the election.

The protests were marked by the migration to Punjab slogans of "Uniforms are behind terrorists". ", A slogan popularized by the Pashtun Protection Movement (PTM). The peaceful protest group that swept Pakistan this year with allegations that the military is hiding behind a litany of civil rights abuses – including thousands of so-called enforced disappearances and support for Taliban factions – in the northern tribal areas

. that the conviction of his candidate in Rawalpindi, Hanif Abbasi, for smuggling of ephedrine was handled by the ISI. If the Pakistan Election Commission (ECP) did not postpone the election in Rawalpindi, citing the media outcry, Abbasi's conviction would have given victory to his rival, the pro-military candidate, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad.

He is certainly involved, "said Shafkat Mehmood Malik, a member of the PML-N, at the Guardian

. Other participants at the protest told the Guardian that a long tradition of non-criticism of the army was collapsing. "No one blamed ISI directly," said Zahid Hussain Satti, "not even the prime minister, but the army is losing popularity all over Pakistan, not only in Punjab."

The Human Rights Commission The Pakistani man, an independent watchdog, warned last week of blatant attempts to manipulate the election result.

Nawaz Sharif turned his party's campaign into a reprimand for military interference – appointing an ISI general as behind the campaign against the PML-N and using the slogan "Respect the vote" ". According to perception surveys conducted on behalf of the Armed Forces, its reputation in Punjab has suffered

Until the anger of party aficionados is shared across the province will become clear after the July 25 vote. "I do not think there is a Panjabi popular movement against the establishment," said Harvard University academic Asad Liaqat, using a common term for the military. But he said that it was "in the strategic interest" of the PML-N to try to stir up anger before the vote in order to encourage participation.

The latest survey, by the newspaper Herald and the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, shows that the PML-N retains a 7% advance in the province, bringing 141 of the 272 seats back to the National Assembly. Until now, research suggests that its constituents care more about the economy and job prospects than protecting democracy or ending corruption (as promised by the ITP). If this trend continues, a coalition led by PTI is the most likely nationwide outcome on Wednesday, but the Rawalpindi protest could echo for years to come.