Delayed justice
We badly need greater transparency within our system, especially when it comes to elections
Election Commission of Pakistan has asked all election tribunals to speed up their work, and use relevant laws against parliamentarians, who may be delaying cases. PHOTO: AFP
Following a meeting between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf chief Imran Khan and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Raza Khan, the Election Commission of Pakistan has asked all election tribunals to speed up their work, and use relevant laws against parliamentarians, who may be delaying cases. This, of course, would be especially relevant in the case of government parliamentarians, and Imran Khan has repeatedly referred to the failure to reach a verdict on the contest in NA-122 Lahore, where he was pitted against the current National Assembly Speaker, Ayaz Sadiq.
While tribunals are, under the law, bound to decide petitions within 120 days at the maximum, with provisions existing for a heavy fine to be imposed against a party seeking adjournments intended to delay matters, 100 of some 403 petitions put before tribunals after the May 2013 election remain to be settled. This, of course, is highly unfortunate. The CEC’s attention to this matter is, therefore, welcome.
It is high time this business, that has lingered on from the previous general election, be resolved, so that we can all move on. Imran Khan has now clearly indicated that he would accept the verdict of a judicial commission, even if it ruled that the PML-N was indeed the winner of the previous election. With fears of a new round of agitation by the PTI, if things do not go its way, now removed, there seems to be no further reason for the government to drag its feet on the setting up of the judicial commission. Indeed, this step must be taken urgently so that persisting doubts can be removed. The matter has lingered on for far too long anyway, and it is important we have an answer to what is a crucial question. Imran Khan is also right when he asks why the government is hesitant to allow tribunal verdicts to go before the judicial commission. We badly need greater transparency within our system, especially when it comes to elections, and it is important all political parties move together towards this goal so that we can build a stronger democracy based on a solid system of election.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2015.
While tribunals are, under the law, bound to decide petitions within 120 days at the maximum, with provisions existing for a heavy fine to be imposed against a party seeking adjournments intended to delay matters, 100 of some 403 petitions put before tribunals after the May 2013 election remain to be settled. This, of course, is highly unfortunate. The CEC’s attention to this matter is, therefore, welcome.
It is high time this business, that has lingered on from the previous general election, be resolved, so that we can all move on. Imran Khan has now clearly indicated that he would accept the verdict of a judicial commission, even if it ruled that the PML-N was indeed the winner of the previous election. With fears of a new round of agitation by the PTI, if things do not go its way, now removed, there seems to be no further reason for the government to drag its feet on the setting up of the judicial commission. Indeed, this step must be taken urgently so that persisting doubts can be removed. The matter has lingered on for far too long anyway, and it is important we have an answer to what is a crucial question. Imran Khan is also right when he asks why the government is hesitant to allow tribunal verdicts to go before the judicial commission. We badly need greater transparency within our system, especially when it comes to elections, and it is important all political parties move together towards this goal so that we can build a stronger democracy based on a solid system of election.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2015.