By NNN-APP
Washington : The US media Monday closely covered Pakistan’s ‘high-stakes’ poll, analyzing what impact the outcome could have on the South Asian country’s future policies, particularly in the context of combating terrorism challenges in the region.
As counting began after millions of Pakistanis cast their ballot on a day “free of major attacks” mainstream American newspapers and news channels intently reported on the process with experts voicing their opinions on how the widely-anticipated vote could pull the country out of recent turmoil and bring about democratic transition.
Although, the US is witnessing a string of absorbing presidential state primary contests between Democratic candidates in its election year, the Pakistani election process has been a subject of keen interest in the American media and viewed as vital to anti-terrorism fight.
Commencing its coverage of polls soon as it got underway in Pakistan, the CNN discussed significance of the poll in the context of the US-Pakistan anti-terror cooperation.
A channel report at the conclusion of the vote said from Islamabad that the people were “upbeat, happy that they could have their say” through the ballot.
Experts told the channel that that the vote could be historic in determining the South Asian nation’s course on a progressive path in the wake of unprecedented wave of suicide bombings that has seen public opinion rise sharply against militancy.
The popular Fox News channel reported that election day did not experience any major untoward incident in the “number one war on terror ally” and the international observers, commenting on the fairness of the poll, said things have been going on “pretty well so far.”
“The future shape of the government in Pakistan could shape the future of war on terror” in the region, the Fox News correspondent reported from the country. The Washington Post carried two major stories in its print edition, weighing prospects of the election being fair and transparent in the light public opinion and highlighting reasons for the United States’ deep interest in the vote.
The newspaper also hosted a discussion on the Post Global with the writer making a case for political forces unifying in the post-election scenario in the face of challenges confronting the country.
“Pakistan voters defy threats” was the headline of a news story in the USA Today which reported on electoral process in view of security situation in the run up to the vote.
Similarly, The Los Angeles Times headlined its story “Pakistan polls close; no major attacks,” as it praised that braving the threat of violence millions of voters across the country cast ballots.
“A campaign marked by bombings and an assassination is capped by an election day free of major attacks,” the sub-headline of the story read.
The New York Times and The Christian Science Monitor front-paged their stories with pictures on the Pakistani poll.The news stories mulled prospects of the future role of the president, the prime minister and other stakeholders in the new set up as they zeroed in on the electoral process and pre-election events including the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and their possible implications.
The C-SPAN channel aired an interactive program ahead of the Pakistani election with a leading South Asian expert underlining the importance of US forging wide-ranging and long-term ties with the ally.