The Order of the Boot
We would like to think that the ECP acted as decisively in other cases, and watch with interest
Despite coming in for considerable flak itself from time to time the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sometimes gets it right, scoring the occasional bullseye. On Tuesday 20th June it disqualified Raja Shaukat Aziz Bhatti as a member of the Punjab Assembly for holding a fake degree, a move that we entirely support. He was a member of the ruling PML-N and a member of the provincial assembly representing the PP-04 constituency.
This is hardly a precipitate move as the MPA had been facing proceedings against himself since he was elected in 2008 so he has had nine years enjoying the perks, privileges and status of an MPA whilst all the time flying the banner of false pretences. Multiple arrest warrants have been issued against him but he sailed along regardless. There have been attempts to unseat him, most recently and notably by Major (retd) Iftikhar Kiani who filed an application with the ECP seeking the disqualification of Bhatti and a by-election in the constituency. Somewhat acidly Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Raza observed that the case was being heard long before he even came into office. In that time Bhatti has changed his counsel on numerous occasions and challenged the jurisdiction of the ECP itself — all in an effort to hold on to his seat.
The end of the road is now reached, and the Order of the Boot bestowed on a man who used the degree of another person of the same name to fraudulently gain a seat in one of the cockpits of power. It has to be said that there are at the very least suspicions that there are other men and women who occupy seats in the provincial and federal assemblies that are likewise fraudulent. We would like to think that the ECP acted as decisively in other cases, and watch with interest.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 21st, 2017.
This is hardly a precipitate move as the MPA had been facing proceedings against himself since he was elected in 2008 so he has had nine years enjoying the perks, privileges and status of an MPA whilst all the time flying the banner of false pretences. Multiple arrest warrants have been issued against him but he sailed along regardless. There have been attempts to unseat him, most recently and notably by Major (retd) Iftikhar Kiani who filed an application with the ECP seeking the disqualification of Bhatti and a by-election in the constituency. Somewhat acidly Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Raza observed that the case was being heard long before he even came into office. In that time Bhatti has changed his counsel on numerous occasions and challenged the jurisdiction of the ECP itself — all in an effort to hold on to his seat.
The end of the road is now reached, and the Order of the Boot bestowed on a man who used the degree of another person of the same name to fraudulently gain a seat in one of the cockpits of power. It has to be said that there are at the very least suspicions that there are other men and women who occupy seats in the provincial and federal assemblies that are likewise fraudulent. We would like to think that the ECP acted as decisively in other cases, and watch with interest.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 21st, 2017.