KARACHI: Amid all the allegations of political engineering orre-engineering, an election watchdog has said that the data it hascollected thus far shows that a level-playing field is being provided toall political parties for the 2018 general elections.

“Ninety per cent data shows a level-playing field is available to allcontesting parties. There are no complaints of harassment by the districtlevel office-bearers of political parties,” Sarwar Bari, the spokespersonfor the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), told The Express Tribune onTuesday.

FAFEN’s findings belie the allegations being hurled by some politicalparties that a level-playing field is not available to all the partiesrunning in the elections. The data also contradicts analyses in theinternational media that some parties are being edged out of the electionfray in a systematic manner.

The remaining 10 per cent data involves reservations from the PakistanMuslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) about thefairness and impartiality of the democratic exercise, the FAFEnspokesperson said.

The two parties have accused the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP),which is responsible for a free and fair conduct of the election, of notproviding a level-playing field to all contesting parties – an allegationvehemently the poll supervisory body vehemently denies.

The international media alleges that Pakistan’s security establishment isinvolved in ‘political engineering or re-engineering’ by pushing ImranKhan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for an electoral victory.

“There is no credence in these allegations. If any such thing is ongoing,then the stakeholders should approach the Election Commission of Pakistanwith evidence,” Bari said.

The FAFEN spokesperson believes the peaceful conduct of the 2018 electionand smooth transition of power would strengthen democracy in Pakistan. Headvised the political parties to depute “educated, well-informed andpolitically aware polling agents at the polling stations”.

Amid all the allegations of political engineering or re-engineering, anelection watchdog has said that the data it has collected thus far showsthat a level-playing field is being provided to all political parties forthe 2018 general elections.

“Ninety per cent data shows a level-playing field is available to allcontesting parties. There are no complaints of harassment by the districtlevel office-bearers of political parties,” Sarwar Bari, the spokespersonfor the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), told The Express Tribune onTuesday.

FAFEN’s findings belie the allegations being hurled by some politicalparties that a level-playing field is not available to all the partiesrunning in the elections. The data also contradicts analyses in theinternational media that some parties are being edged out of the electionfray in a systematic manner.

The remaining 10 per cent data involves reservations from the PakistanMuslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) about thefairness and impartiality of the democratic exercise, the FAFEnspokesperson said.

The two parties have accused the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP),which is responsible for a free and fair conduct of the election, of notproviding a level-playing field to all contesting parties – an allegationvehemently the poll supervisory body vehemently denies.

The international media alleges that Pakistan’s security establishment isinvolved in ‘political engineering or re-engineering’ by pushing ImranKhan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for an electoral victory.

“There is no credence in these allegations. If any such thing is ongoing,then the stakeholders should approach the Election Commission of Pakistanwith evidence,” Bari said.