Pakistan general elections: Twitter abuzz with reference to 1970 elections

As Pakistan is yet to get a clear winner of Thursday's general elections, users of social media X began drawing parallels to the polls with the general elections in 1970 in which Sheikh Mujibur Rahman secured a landslide victory against Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

Two days after voting ended, counting is still underway in Pakistan's latest national elections. Imran Khan, who is not directly participating in the elections, and his rival Nawaz Sharif both declared victory in the polls marred by delayed results and militant attacks, throwing the country into further political turmoil.

Sharif's party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won the most seats by a single party but supporters of imprisoned Khan, contesting as independent candidates instead of as a single bloc after his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was barred from the polls, won the most seats overall.

Sharif is now looking for greater unity, inviting all others, except the PTI, to join hands. The majority seat holders, however, remain Imran Khan, hence the decision to elect the next prime minister rests with them. What remains to be seen is whether the army will allow 

Looking back into the 1970 general election, it was a fierce contest between two major democratic parties: the West Pakistan-based Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and the then East Pakistan-based Awami League under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The then West Pakistan, now Pakistan, had 138 seats while East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, had 162 seats in the National Assembly, excluding the reserved seats for women.

The Awami League secured an absolute majority, winning 160 of the 162 seats, sweeping East Pakistan, while the Pakistan Peoples Party won 81 seats in Punjab and Sindh, out of the 138 seats.

However, the landmark electoral mandate of 1970 did not translate into a smooth transition of power.

The ruling regime in West Pakistan, backed by the military and led by Yahya Khan, refused to recognise the right of the Awami League to form a government.

Yahya Khan prevented Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from assuming power by indefinitely delaying the convening of the National Assembly. This denial of political legitimacy and the betrayal of the mandate of East Pakistan eventually led to the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971 and the birth of a new country.

Drawing parallels with both elections, one user posted in X, "In 2024, echoes of 1970 emerge as elections unfold in Pakistan. Regional concerns resurface, hinting at potential parallels with the past—division, creation, and the formulation of a new constitution. The unfolding events bear a resemblance to the pivotal moments of 1970."

Another user wrote, "A repeat of 1970 General Elections. This time they couldn't destroy the country so they destroyed the constitution." 

Meanwhile, another user demanded that the Pakistani military submit to Imran Khan.

"A repeat of the 1970 general election! Now, the Pakistani military must submit to Prime Minister Imran Khan, which they did not do to Sheikh Mujib, resulting in the loss of East Pakistan. Remember, no power on Earth can stop an idea whose time has come."

Another user posted, "Pakistan election was supposed to bring stability and certainty. But it has done the complete opposite. It is a watershed moment for Pakistan. If verdict is misjudged, misread and mishandled it could prove as devastating as 1970."