RIYADH: I fail to understand why so much fuss is being created over Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution. The true spirit of the elections should be that the candidates voluntarily offer themselves up for such scrutiny. But knowing that our politicians have yet to attain the level of maturity and courage this requires, I do not see anything wrong if the Election Commission of Pakistan has taken this task upon itself. Why are we forgetting that candidates who are filing nomination papers will be holding public offices and making decisions that will affect the common man? As a Muslim and as a citizen of Pakistan, I have every right to know what kind of character electoral candidates possess, what their past records are, what their ideologies are and how honest and sincere they are. If I have to make a business deal with someone, I will make sure that my he/she is honest and trustworthy. What is wrong, then, with ensuring before electing to office any person that he/she is worthy of the office he/she is trying to seek?
Here, however, we need to distinguish between two things: 1) crimes and sins committed by candidates that affected other people, society or the nation as a whole — in other words, crimes against humanity — and 2) crimes and sins committed which were limited to one’s own self, such as alcoholism, gambling, etc. The appeals of such people who fall in the first category should not be considered and they should be debarred from contesting the elections. The appeals of those who fall in the second category may be conditionally accepted if they take an oath that they will give up their un-Islamic practices and if found involved in such practices in the future, they should be required to give up their parliamentary seat.
SM Fakhir
Published in The Express Tribune, April 9th, 2013.
