Researcher Dr Abdul Rauf told a gathering at the National Press Club in Islamabad that the vote is a national trust and must be given only to those who are fit to hold public office. He said casting a ballot for an unfit candidate is not only a civic mistake but a religious disobedience, because our faith requires that trust be returned to its rightful holder.
Sharing results from his study on voter behaviour, Dr Abdul Rauf said nearly half of Pakistan’s electorate does not participate in elections. Of the remaining voters, he reported, just 15 percent cast ballots for candidates he considered qualified while 35 percent vote for those he deemed unfit. He urged authorities and civil society to establish a reliable voter data system to track how many votes go to qualified versus unqualified candidates so the nation can measure progress toward placing office in capable hands.
Dr Abdul Rauf warned that treating the vote lightly amounts to betraying a public amanat. He stressed that both failing to vote and voting for unfit candidates are wrong paths; abstention can be a dereliction of responsibility while voting for the wrong person is a direct breach of trust. Citing religious guidance, he reminded listeners that when trust is forsaken, grave consequences follow.
Addressing the cultural tendency to dismiss voting as optional, he said many voters believe participation is not their duty, which undermines democratic accountability. He also argued that asking for votes undermines the moral standing of aspirants, and urged voters to distinguish clearly between fit and unfit candidates. Noting that countries which gained independence after Pakistan have overtaken it in progress, Dr Abdul Rauf linked improvement to a collective commitment to treating the vote as a national trust and strengthening voter responsibility and election integrity.
