Venting frustrations: Senators lash out against ECP, Supreme Court
Senators from across the political spectrum hit out at the election commission on Thursday for its pro-activeness on the dual nationality issue and suggestions on electoral reforms.
At the maiden meeting of the Senate Special Committee on Election Matters, constituted to deliberate on means to reform the electoral process, members of the upper house of parliament criticised the judiciary and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Senator Jehangir Badar of ruling Pakistan Peoples Party heads the committee.
Lawmakers said the law barring dual nationals from contesting elections has been in place since 1985, but those who failed to implement it were never taken to task.
They pointed out that an individual who was widely known to possess dual nationality even held the office of the prime minister in the recent past.
The members of the committee opposed an idea floated by Secretary Election Commission of enhancing the number of seats for Balochistan in the National Assembly.
Lawmakers also criticised what they called were inaccurate electoral rolls, the proposed code of conduct for political parties, and vowed that ECP would not be allowed to dictate terms to parliament.
Senator Zahid Khan of Awami National Party (ANP) said two institutions, the Supreme Court and the ECP, consider themselves to be ‘angels,’ and regard parliamentarians as ‘dacoits and thieves.’
He said the court and the ECP should accept their mistake because of which fresh declarations were being sought now.
“We do not need to give fresh declarations. Why should we be apologetic all the time,” he said.
Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s Kamil Ali Agha said the Supreme Court had ordered recovery of the salaries paid to lawmakers who have been disqualified for having dual nationality. Before doing that, those who did not implement the law should be first identified, and then punished, he said.
Agha also criticised the ECP’s decision to ban provision of transport to voters by candidates, and said decisions must be taken in view of ground realities.
He accused ECP of establishing ghost polling stations in the past, with Jehangir Badr of PPP and Col (retd) Tahir Mashhadi of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) endorsing the view.
Badr said ECP always held elections to achieve desired results, but will not be allowed to do so in the future. He said the parliamentary committee will take the lead in ensuring transparent polls.
It was not just the government and its partners who railed against the ECP.
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Ishaq Dar also hit out at the Secretary ECP for proposing to double the National Assembly seats in Balochistan.
“The decisions should be taken by us, not the ECP. Another tier must not dictate us,” he said.
Mashhadi of MQM referred to a claim made by a committee member, Sughra Imam, at a recent session of the Senate that 15 million deceased people had been enrolled as voters.
The committee decided to start public hearings to solicit views of political parties, inside and outside parliament, and the civil society on election-related legislation.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 5th, 2012.
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We have become a laughing stock due to activism of our CJ and his Bunch who interpret constitution just like bullying kids who fail exams year after year or pass in a third grade manner. These idiots contradict the basics of constitution and became self styled revered and have lost the august dignity of becoming a justice. Only God bless Pakistan to come out of this web.