PML-N lawmaker and columnist Ayaz Amir. PHOTO: EXPRESS/ FILE
KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker and noted columnist Ayaz Amir has been granted permission to contest elections in the May 11 polls, Express News reported on Wednesday.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench Election Tribunal, accepted his papers and changed the decision made previously by a returning officer who had declined his nomination.
Amir’s nomination papers for his constituency NA-60 in Chakwal were rejected because he allegedly wrote articles against the “ideology of Pakistan”. This column was read in court today and was found to be non-objectionable by the bench.
The PML-N leader had earlier pleaded for his candidature and claimed that he did not write any objectionable article.
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PML-N will clean sweep the elections InshaAllah and all conspiracies to keep its candidates out of the election process will fail. Vote for Better Pakistan, Vote for PML-N
shame on those who rejected his nomination papers.
@John the Baptist: "@Raj Pal: Thanks Raj Pal. You will only find such gems in Pakistan–they don’t exist in india!"
Yes, across the border also we respect people like Ayaz AMir, Najam Sethi etc. and Raj Pal expressed that. But instead of graciously accepting the compliment, you make that as a basis for taking a swipe at India.
There are many people in India that speak up about problems in India fearlessly and also do something about these problems. People in media, people in civil society, people in politics.
He was one of the most intelligent and educated person in the NA, one may not agree with him all the time but the fact is he is very capable person and Pakistanis should be proud of him. It is a sane decision by the court and I wish him good luck for the coming elections, my advice to him is write what ever he thinks is right and is in the best interest of the country. Kudos to him.
I like Ayaz amins column and with his & Tribune's permission I have translated some of his articles in Marathi, my mother tongue, and published them in one pf Pune's/Maharashtra's most popular newspaper "Sakal"! I consider him as Pakistan's future PM and have requested him to invite me to attend his swearing-in ceremony. Wish you good luck in the case of your compsition of letters & your good work as a columnist. Good luck, Ayazsahab!
Congratulations Mr Ayaz amir. Surely you will celebrate this achievement along with your secular friends with the same unique 'thing' which you mentioned in your articles and for which you were disqualified. by the way which brand it will be
Meanwhile I don't want to vote in this election anymore.
So, a man who admits to being a drunkard and when accused of acquiring the services of a minor forced into prostitution, tries to stop her FIR from being registered, then arrogantly dismisses her in his column as a "demimonde" (as if his own morality is sound) is the hero of our self proclaimed "liberals".
If only not just PML N but other parties had more such candidates who could think for themselevs and help others THINK - Pakistans future would be brighter! Hope he gets in parliament!
@Raj Pal: Agreed sir. Me too feels it hard to understand as to how a person of the calibre of Mr.Ayaz Amir is so unbefittingly representing PML N, (the herd of crazy goofs). And what about the advocate of insanes Mr. Abbas Ansari ?
he is a good writer. my problem with his articles was that he would self-flagellate pak too much never taking into account indian aggression since partition. Has Pakistan made mistakes? yes. Has Pakistan made every mistake? no. He had nothing to say about hyderabad, junagadh,kashmir pretexts, goa, sikkim, siachen -- all aggressive actions. To mr. amir, everything is pakistan's fault. a quality so admired by our neighbors.
my thing is that if he is such a man of conviction, why be part of PML(n) ? go independent or go pti with a clean slate.
what does he have to say about the democracy within his party? if you are so fierce, take nawaz and shabaz to task.... ask them about ill-gotten wealth. you can't shred everyone EXCEPT your affiliates to garner respect as an impartial, unbiased and well-meaning person.
At any rate, i do like that he criticises some powerful stakeholders in pakistan. we need such people.
@CHARYAONLINE: Since Mr. Ayaz Amir has contested elections quite a few times, apparently all election commissions in the past have also had the temerity to cross the limits that you have defined for them. By the way, you don't seem to be very exercised about mass murderers and malcontents galore (e.g. Maulana Ludhianvi) contesting the elections.
I feel that a number of Pakistanis represent the latest evolutionary adaptation to the human race. Natural selection seems to have endowed these worthies with a set of moral blinkers.
@CHARYAONLINE: What exactly is a habbit?
Congratulations! Ayaz sb Mr ayaz is a moderate qualified and balanced politician, he must be in assembly
Its a Great Day for the liberated minds. The rejection of vision less RO's decision by the higher judiciary clearly indicates that eventually Mullaiat will lose its battle against democracy and liberal stance. Congratulations Mr. Ayaz Amir, we are proud of you.
Now it's time to throw Article 62 and 63 and sub-article "Ansar Abbasi" in oblivion. It must be a bad day for "Salehan and Muftian e Sahafat"; Ayaz Amir and Jamshed Dasti both are cleared away and we will be able to see them in the next national assembly. Bravo!
It is a good decision by the independent courts of Pakistan. By all this scenario firstly rejecting by RO then gotten acceptance by the higher judiciary seems that the judiciary of Pakistan is working independently. First time in the history of Pakistan all the leading political leaders and contesting candidates has been treated for their eligibility fairly and all the political leaders has surrendered themselves before the law by appearing before the ROs. I think it is a real change which had occurred towards the rule of law and we must admire such trends for the stability of democracy in a real meaning.
@Mohammad: I am sure u must be crying now
At last good sense prevailed. Pakistan needs more educated, liberal and well-read intellectuals like Ayaz Amir to guide the Nation than people like Ansar Abbasi. Ayaz is Prime Ministerial material.
I m pleased for Ayaz Amir. He is one of very few sensible minds PML(N) has at the moment.
Feel so sorry for Mr Sangsar!
Its a good news... Abbasi and others from the same clan should note that writing about 'eastern values and good tastes'.... is not against 'Paki ideology' after all
@CHARYAONLINE:
He was a former captain in the Pak Army.
Rejecting Ayaz Amir's nomination papers by returning officer was an outrage. Whatever happened to freedom of expression and why was there not enough outrage by media and society about it? It took the a High Court to accept the papers, what a waste of time of the HC. ECP should remove such returning officers to make the process smooth.
finally media won.... now a dayspower is in the hand of media and courts,so they can do any thing,no body can stop them,,,,,
My sources within PML(N) as well in Chakwal told me that the Party's leadership was actually happy that his papers were rejected since the PML(N) leadership was hesitant to grant him the ticket. This will complicate matters for them!
@Raj Pal:
Thanks Raj Pal. You will only find such gems in Pakistan--they don't exist in india!
I always admired him as he is the one of the few (actually the only one i know)who would openly and loudly criticize the wrong doings of his ones own political party and top party leadership both in his articles and on talk shows. He may belong to the right winged PML-N but his pen and toungue are free of any bias ...Glad to hear this news ...good luck for the commig elections
The forces of darkness (Zia legacy) have been defeated yet again.
@All Any educated guesses, who must be crying now?
NO faith in ECP anymore :@
Congratulations Mr. Amir! I am particularly pleased with this decision and very rightly so, bright individuals like you truly deserve to lead our country. But I still fail to understand how your liberal approach synchronizes with the ideology of your party, who are true conservatives on the right. Your article on Constitutional Art 62 63 was very enlightening, while you did point out how the party in power did bring about 18th amendment and did not touch the core topics, such as Art 62 63, but Sir, your party had the same opportunity twice to undo Zia’s evil but you failed to deliver. It is very sad that you are giving preference to your political association over your ideologies.
Good decision by the court....
PML N is the single largest beneficiary of free judiciary.
justice finally prevails!!
Then wat about his Drinking habbit!! this election commision has crossed all the limits!
Sensible decision by the court. It however needs to be said that even 'questioning' the 'ideology' of Pakistan should not be reason enough to disqualify a candidate. We need representatives who are able to think for themselves, instead of robots who parrot and conform to established ideas.
well done ECP and judiciary for accepting papers of a person who raped a 15 year old girl and writes against the army and the “ideology of Pakistan”.BRAVO.
At least some good sense prevailed
God be praised.
Sanity has prevailed.
All the best to Mr Ayaz Amir.
Sounds better now...
Money won, after all.
Congratulations to all people with sand-minds...
so returning officers have no say ?
Thank heavens that good sense has prevailed. While not always in agreement with all his views, which I have often found hard to square with his membership, and representation in Parliament, of a such a right wing party as the PML (N), over the years I have looked forward to reading Mr. Amir's column every week as one of that rare and admirable breed of Pakistani intellectuals with the sterling ability to hold a mirror to society and confront it with some uncomfortable realities. The loss of such a prominent public intellectuals would have been catastrophic for an already shrinking space in Pakistan where honest, open and rational debate can take place.
All those cadindates who were disqualified , will no be qulaified, that was just an eye wash to show that ECP is doing something..... All set for mst rigged election in history of Pakistan.. I will not vote in this corrupt system,
Acceptance of nomination paper of Mr. Ayaz Ammir is a historical deciscion of Court. It is a sucess of right to free expression. I think it is a begning towards Real democratic and liberal Pakistan
I don't know what to do... Laugh or Cry.
Ansar Abbasi must be weeping now.
Congratulations Ayaz Amir. You deserve to be in the assembly only this time around make your knowledge heard and applicable. The ROs are becoming a 'ridiculing officer' and missing the point. Salams
Is this an Election or selection ?
The common sense has prevailed at last.