PTI leaders Javed Hashmi and Shah Mehmood Qureshi met Tahirul Qadri in Lahore on Wednesday. PHOTO: NNI
The details of how the ECP is to be constituted are very clearly laid down in the Constitution. The government, in consultation with the leader of the opposition, appoints the members of the ECP. This way, all the people’s representatives get their say and have a chance to approve the ECP. Dr Qadri is not a part of the process since he is not in parliament. Indeed, as someone who has Canadian citizenship, he is not even eligible to stand for parliamentary elections. Imran Khan, who decided to boycott the 2008 elections, does not have a role to play in choosing members of the ECP either. He cannot simply nullify the process because he does not like the results. To change the composition of the ECP at the whims of unelected politicians like Imran Khan and the likes of Dr Qadri would have a chilling effect on the holding of free elections rather than allowing the estimable Fakhruddin G Ebrahim to continue.
The PTI is likely going down this dangerous path because it realises that its popularity levels have fallen in recent months, with many defections from the party and a precipitous drop in enthusiasm. Dr Qadri, meanwhile, just wants to continue hogging the limelight. Likely, the Supreme Court will not interfere with the workings of the ECP. To do so, would strike a great blow against the democratic process that could well harm the holding of free elections.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 8th, 2013.
COMMENTS (9)
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@Zoobia: And he delivered. You are welcome to your lying cheating dishonest democratic politicians, who have delivered nothing but ruin, death, incompetence and bankruptcy to the nation.
Imran Khan proving day by day that he needs 61 more years to understand the politics and democracy. He was dictator in cricket team and he likes the dictator in politics.
Birds of the same feather flock together
More grist for the anti PTI mill. Editorials should refrain from personal biases, and all criticism should be based on ideological or policy issues. Why concentrate on IK alone when other parties too have had meetings with and agreed with TQ and his demands. Now that there is a petition before the SC, let the courts decide whether it is constitutionally allowed to change the composition of the EC or not. That is not your decision to make, even though you state " the SC will not interfere in the workings of the EC" , maybe you know something we dont, and that is really chilling. Every Pakistani has a role to play, one cannot be selective on our participation. it is our right as a citizen. Something the media exercises forcefully everyday. By meeting with TQ, the government and the sitting parliamentarians, legitimized Pakistani citizen's participation in the affairs of the country. So your logic there is not only flawed but prejudiced in its application. Did NS not threaten to lead a long march, if the composition of the SC was not changed? And CJ restored. Did that not constitute a non elected politicians whim? Also being a responsible journal it does of behoove you to indulge in hyperbole when commenting on the popularity of a politician, based on one dubious survey. It is time for ET and its editorial staff to come out of the closet. Emulate Fox News and be brave and open in your biases, however unpalatable they may be to the public in general.
Pathetic one-sided biased editorial. Come on editorial team you can still do better!
The hard truth, that the editor will find hard to swallow is that PTIs demands are coherent with the demands of the constitution, as illegal appointments were made at many levels in the ECP. Therefore, any changes to the ECP within the realms of the law would improve the legal stature of the institution, rather than feed into any electoral strategy of any one political party, of which there is a danger if these illegal appointments are not termed null and void. . Am nothing short of amazed that you have wilfully ignored this technicality. Forget PTI and TuQ for the moment and look at the matter purely in terms of the Constitution of Pakistan. . How Imran Khan's holding of public office or not is of any relevance, I do not understand. He may not hold public office but he is still a Citizen of Pakistan and is only demanding the rule of law to be implemented. . Are you going to tell me that that is a threat to democracy as well?
IK should now abandon his party and join muslim league under Nawaz sharif with promis of geting PCB chairmanship.
As a citizen of Pakistan anyone can demand a fair ECP. You cannot take this right from them because they are not in the parliament.
Please Tell Imran (PTI), as to why he now committed mea culpa when he has argued on TV that he disagrees with Qadri's agenda and for that reason they did not participate in Qadri's Darna?? Like Qadri as non-parliamentary actors, they have no say in the selection of ECP members. However, they can have their voices heard through people power and try to bring orderly change through legislation, or through court rulings. Why has IK not joined Qadri as joint-petitioner?? IK is a person who never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity. The two PTI characters sitting with Qadri have the same mindset and are a bunch of losers.