‘Avoiding attention’In Pakistan, voters for each party often travel to polls together, trailing party paraphernalia, making allegiances easily identifiable.But 25-year-old first-time voter Waseem Ali said he would escort each family member “one by one, to avoid forming a crowd and grabbing attention”.Nearby, Abdul Basit said he planned to travel to vote with supporters of the Awami National Party, which advocates for the rights of ethnic Pashtuns.But when safely secluded in the polling booth, the 28-year-old will stamp his vote for Khan’s PTI.”I feel bad I can’t exercise my right to vote freely, but I am going to vote anyway,” he said.PTI insists the establishment will have to carry out “massive” interference in order to tip the result against Khan.”It may be advisable for (supporters) to hide their identity and affiliation to get to the polling station and cast their votes,” PTI information secretary Raoof Hasan told AFP on Tuesday.”Getting to the polling stations is not going to be blocked for people who belong to any other political party.”Khan enjoyed huge popular support when he became prime minister in 2018’s election, with the backing of the military establishment.He was ousted by an April 2022 no-confidence vote after falling out with the top brass, and claims they have since mounted a campaign to sideline him from the February 8 election.The former cricketing legend has been jailed for months and barred from running, and was hit with a trio of fresh convictions and sentences last week.Three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif has meanwhile emerged as the front-runner after analysts said he received the blessing of the military.Monitors have told AFP that the military establishment, which effectively has the power to make governments rise and fall, is presiding over Thursday’s vote with a heavy hand unprecedented in recent history.
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