The air is abuzz with the election fever. The first phase of the local government elections has recently concluded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; the second phase is awaited. Sindh and the Punjab are also gearing up for their local government elections, and despite the cold wave that has engulfed the country, political temperatures are bound to rise the in the coming months.

It is only encouraging to see that a country with a troubled history of electoral politics continues to engage with the democratic process. While there is still a lot to desire when it comes to aspiring to a truly democratic and progressive society, one cannot and should not underestimate the importance of the continuation of electoral processes.

Our Special Report this week is about the current round of local government elections, the emerging trends and the many challenges to the process across the country.

Given that the mainstream political parties having fiercely contested one another on other fronts over the past few years, electoral ground is where the real battle is. The ruling party’s upset defeat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been a humbling lesson for a party that claimed popular support not just in its ‘home’ province but also across the country. But perhaps, there are lessons in it for all major political parties that have for long basked in the glories of the days gone by, of promises for democracy and a prosperous country. Rhetoric will get them only a certain distance, beyond which their performance alone will determine success in future elections, local and national.

This time round, the rise of niche religio-political parties is being viewed as a major factor in the outcome of the electoral process, for now at the local government level. We explore this aspect and more in our Special Report this week.