The 2018 General Elections of Pakistan were perhaps the most widely covered and internationally acknowledged elections in the history of the country. Where some of the international media called them the dirtiest elections in the history, a majority of the people expressed nothing but joy at the results. However, the opposition from within the National Assembly is proving to be a lot stronger. Under this force, the parties, namely PMLN and PPP decided to join forces and become the opposing party against PTI. The strength of both the parties in the assembly is anticipated to be 80 and 56 respectively.
Above all, it was the Awami National Party that joined hands with the opposition declaring an open rejection of the elections on the basis of massive rigging.
During a press conference held soon after the elections, Shahbaz Sharif openly rejected the elections declaring that several irregularities were overlooked. Soon after PPP, MQM, and ANP joined the cause. Polling agents claimed to have been denied the results and were “appalled” at the conduction of the elections.
Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) wholly rejects the results of General Elections 2018 due to manifest & massive irregularities. Form 45 was not given to our agents, results were stopped & votes were counted in the absence of our poll agents. This is both unbearable & unacceptable! — Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) July 25, 2018
It’s now past midnight & I haven’t received official results from any constituency I am contesting my myself. My candidates complaining polling agents have been thrown out of polling stations across the country. Inexcusable & outrageous. — BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) July 25, 2018
Driven by their fierce regular, PML-N grouped with some of the major parties and decided to come up with a coercive strategy to openly declare his distaste for the elections.
A movement was launched not too long ago when several members of the ANP party led definitively by Sherry Rehman met outside the ECP in Lahore. The findings of the meeting resulted in a protest in Islamabad yesterday. The opposition protest is the brainchild of the 11-party grand opposition alliance, named ‘Pakistan Alliance for Free and Fair Elections’. The opposition protest was planned at a multi-party conference held in Islamabad on Friday. Several individuals have taken to social media and questioned the likely biases being shown by television media as none have aired the protests. Sherry Rehman recently took to her Twitter account and stated how protesting is a right and she intends to guide all the protestors under her wing as they deny the results of the elections of 2018. The crowd was reportedly massive. More so, this unrest has initiated a hashtag movement on Twitter going by #oppositionrejectsGE2018.
ANP workers are marching towards the Election commission of Pakistan to record their protest against #MassiveRigging in the general elections. #OppositionRejectsGE18 pic.twitter.com/QFutqUAdxA — Awami National Party (@ANPMarkaz) August 8, 2018
“ We want all parties to come into parliament and form a robust opposition.”PPP ticket-holders and other opposition parties peacefully protest in front of the Election Commission of Pakistan today against the many ways in which this election is questionable . pic.twitter.com/bj9pqxulOZ — SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) August 8, 2018
Hello media masses are protesting against massive rigging ,but as usual no attention from ur side #OppositionRejectsGE18 pic.twitter.com/8NYpXKBY4N — Palwasha Abbas (@Palwasha_Abbas) August 8, 2018
#PPP Leadership in protest against #MassiveRigging in front of #ECP in Islamabad.#OppositionRejectsGE18 pic.twitter.com/crGj14PLqJ — Shoukat Abbasi (@Shoukat_Abbasi8) August 8, 2018
Social media has been a widely used tool in these elections. Twitter, in particular, has been a great force in shaping public opinion. The opposition leaders have also used it to their advantage as demonstrated above.