Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Pakistan in turmoil: On the Pakistan elections and results

Pakistan in turmoil: On the Pakistan elections and results

Instability (अस्थिरता) will follow any attempt to subvert (पलट देना, उतारना) the mandate (जनादेश) for Imran Khan

Pakistan’s elections, on February 8, were not held on a level-playing field. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, arguably (यकीनन, शायद) the most popular politician, has been in jail since May 2023, facing multiple cases and serving (complete, spend a period/time/term (in prison/office)) convictions (sentence, judgement, verdict). His party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was barred from using its symbol on the ballot (मतदान) paper, forcing it to field (nominate, propose, put up (a candidate) to stand in an election) independent candidates. Many of its leaders were also in jail or on the run (trying to escape from someone, particularly the police; fugitive, fleeing), while others were forced to quit politics or defect (desert, abscond, decamp, shift ground, go over to the enemy) to another party. What Pakistan saw in the run-up to (a period of time just before an important event) the elections was a systematic (व्यवस्थित) effort by powerful quarters (some (undisclosed) people) to dismantle (टुकड़े टुकड़े करना, विघटित करना) Mr. Khan’s political vehicle (agency, organ, instrument, structure, apparatus). Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif, once the nemesis (opponent, enemy, foe, rival) of the army, who returned from exile (निर्वासन) in London, led his party’s campaign (अभियान) with the establishment’s (प्रतिष्ठान, स्थापना) blessings (आशीर्वाद का). But if the generals thought these measures (उपाय) would destroy the PTI’s political leverage (फ़ायदा उठाना) and catapult (propel, launch, send, loft; elevate, promote) their favourites to power, they were proven wrong by voters. Independents won 101 of the 265 seats (93 went to PTI-linked candidates), the PML-N secured 75 seats while the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) won 54, and the Karachi-based Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan took 17. To form a government, 134 seats are needed.

This does not mean that the PTI, whose independent candidates form the largest bloc (गुट), would be able to form the next government. When it was evident (clear, distinct, visible, obvious, striking) that no bloc had an absolute majority (a condition in which a party is winning more than half of the seats/members in an election), Nawaz Sharif called on (ask, request, appeal to, urge) every party, barring (except, except for, apart from, other than, besides, excluding) the PTI, to form a unity government. With Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir backing (support, favour, endorse, uphold, approve of) Mr. Sharif’s call, what followed was an in-principle agreement between the PML-N and the PPP “to work together for political stability”. All these developments (turn of events, incident, occurrence, happening) point to (indicate, denote, suggest, signify, signal) political manoeuvring (activity, plan/operation, stratagem, tactic (carefully planned)) aimed at stitching together a unity government that will keep the PTI and Mr. Khan out of power. The independents could also come under (be subjected to (pressure)) pressure to switch (change, convert, shift) to the coalition (group, faction, alliance, partnership) parties. The PTI, which has already alleged (state, indicate, profess, argue, contend, claim, charge, accuse) electoral irregularities (non-uniformity, unevenness, lopsidedness, incorrectness, wrongdoing, misconduct), has called for street protests, triggering (cause, give rise to, lead to, bring about, generate) memories of the widespread clashes (conflict, skirmish, confrontation, hostilities, fighting) in May 2023 after Mr. Khan’s arrest. The military may have wanted to turn the page ((figuratively) to make a fresh start; To move on to new involvements or activities) of Mr. Khan’s challenge and create a new political reality through the electoral process, but the results have underscored (underline, emphasise, highlight, stress, call/draw attention to) his popularity and public anger towards the establishment. For a long-term solution, the generals should make peace (with be friends again, bury the hatchet, mend fences, settle differences, try to repair problems (with someone after an argument or disagreement)) with Mr. Khan and allow the spirit (ethos, essence, ethics, beliefs, principles, attitudes) of the results to prevail (exist, be in existence, be present, be prevalent; win, succeed, win through, gain victory, be victorious) — an unlikely (doubtful, implausible, improbable, questionable) outcome (consequence, implications, ramification, repercussion). As political parties that finished second and third are moving ahead with their plans with blessings from the establishment, public discontent (disappointment, dissatisfaction, disgruntlement, resentment, grievances, unhappiness, displeasure) and distrust (mistrust, suspicion, lack of trust) would remain the unresolved issues. With the PTI’s challenge from the streets, Pakistan could face another cycle (pattern, order, sequence, series, chain, course) of instability and chaos (disorder, disarray, turmoil, disorganization, disruption).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.turmoil (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उथल-पुथल
English Meaning - disorder, turbulence, confusion, trouble, chaos.

2.instability (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अस्थिरता
English Meaning - uncertainty, changeableness, volatility, unpredictability, abnormality.

3.subvert (verb)

Hindi Meaning - पलट देना, उतारना
English Meaning - undermine, weaken, sabotage, damage, demolish, disrupt.

4.mandate (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जनादेश
English Meaning - approval, acceptance, endorsement, authority (given by a constituency to someone acting as its representative).

5.arguably (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - यकीनन, शायद
English Meaning - perhaps, likely, probably, maybe.

6.ballot (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मतदान
English Meaning - vote, poll.

7.systematic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - व्यवस्थित
English Meaning - organized, planned, methodical, well-ordered.

8.dismantle (verb)

Hindi Meaning - टुकड़े टुकड़े करना, विघटित करना
English Meaning - topple, demolish, destroy, knock down.

9.exile (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निर्वासन
English Meaning - a person who lives away from his/her native country;

10.campaign (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अभियान
English Meaning - canvassing, electioneering, an act of soliciting (asking for/requesting) votes; an organized effort that seeks to influence the decision-making progress within a specific group.

11.establishment (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिष्ठान, स्थापना
English Meaning - a powerful group within a particular area of activity.

12.blessings (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आशीर्वाद का
English Meaning - approval, consent, support, backing.

13.measure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उपाय
English Meaning - action, act, step, move.

14.leverage (noun)

Hindi Meaning - फ़ायदा उठाना
English Meaning - power, control, influence, sway, clout.

15.bloc (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गुट
English Meaning - group, alliance, association, union, partnership.

16.held past participle of hold (verb)

English Meaning - conduct, organize, arrange, preside over.

17.a level-playing field (phrase)

English Meaning - a situation in which everyone has the equal chance of succeeding.

18.serve (verb)

English Meaning - complete, spend a period/time/term (in prison/office).

19.conviction (noun)

English Meaning - sentence, judgement, verdict.

20.bar (verb)

English Meaning - prohibit, debar, forbid, ban.

21.field (verb)

English Meaning - nominate, propose, put up (a candidate) to stand in an election.

22.on the run (phrase)

English Meaning - trying to escape from someone, particularly the police; fugitive, fleeing.

23.defect (verb)

English Meaning - desert, abscond, decamp, shift ground, go over to the enemy.

24.run-up to (noun)

English Meaning - a period of time just before an important event.

25.quarter (noun)

English Meaning - some (undisclosed) people.

26.vehicle (noun)

English Meaning - agency, organ, instrument, structure, apparatus.

27.nemesis (noun)

English Meaning - opponent, enemy, foe, rival.

28.exile (noun)

English Meaning - banishment, expulsion, deportation.

29.splinter group (noun)

English Meaning - a small group, sector, wing of a larger one.

30.catapult (verb)

English Meaning - propel, launch, send, loft; elevate, promote.

31.evident (adjective)

English Meaning - clear, distinct, visible, obvious, striking.

32.absolute majority (noun)

English Meaning - a condition in which a party is winning more than half of the seats/members in an election.

33.call on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - ask, request, appeal to, urge.

34.outbound (adjective)

English Meaning - travelling/going out of your home country.

35.barring (preposition)

English Meaning - except, except for, apart from, other than, besides, excluding.

36.back (verb)

English Meaning - support, favour, endorse, uphold, approve of.

37.call (noun)

English Meaning - appeal, request, demand.

38.in principle (phrase)

English Meaning - generally, by and large, all things considered, on the whole, in essence.

39.development (noun)

English Meaning - turn of events, incident, occurrence, happening.

40.point to (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, denote, suggest, signify, signal.

41.manoeuvre (noun)

English Meaning - activity, plan/operation, stratagem, tactic (carefully planned).

42.stitch together (verb)

English Meaning - join or connect or link (something)together.

43.keep someone out of something (phrase)

English Meaning - to avoid becoming involved in something.

44.come under (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - be subjected to (pressure).

45.switch (verb)

English Meaning - change, convert, shift.

46.coalition (noun)

English Meaning - group, faction, alliance, partnership.

47.allege (verb)

English Meaning - state, indicate, profess, argue, contend, claim, charge, accuse.

48.irregularity (noun)

English Meaning - non-uniformity, unevenness, lopsidedness, incorrectness, wrongdoing, misconduct.

49.call for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - require, need, necessitate, make necessary, demand, publicly ask for.

50.trigger (verb)

English Meaning - cause, give rise to, lead to, bring about, generate.

51.clash (noun)

English Meaning - conflict, skirmish, confrontation, hostilities, fighting.

52.turn the page (phrase)

English Meaning - (figuratively) to make a fresh start; To move on to new involvements or activities.

53.underscore (verb)

English Meaning - underline, emphasise, highlight, stress, call/draw attention to.

54.make peace (phrase)

English Meaning - with be friends again, bury the hatchet, mend fences, settle differences, try to repair problems (with someone after an argument or disagreement).

55.spirit (noun)

English Meaning - ethos, essence, ethics, beliefs, principles, attitudes.

56.prevail (verb)

English Meaning - exist, be in existence, be present, be prevalent; win, succeed, win through, gain victory, be victorious.

57.unlikely (adjective)

English Meaning - doubtful, implausible, improbable, questionable.

58.move ahead (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - proceed, continue, advance, keep going.

59.outcome (noun)

English Meaning - consequence, implications, ramification, repercussion.

60.discontent (noun)

English Meaning - disappointment, dissatisfaction, disgruntlement, resentment, grievances, unhappiness, displeasure.