On Tuesday, for the first time, influential lawmakers were sent to jail for making false declaration to reach the Parliament. In Sibi, Balochistan, former federal minister Humayun Aziz Kurd was sentenced to one year jail and fined Rs 5000 for submitting fake degree to the Election Commission. Kurd was arrested from the courtroom following the sentence, and was sent to the district jail. Therein Dera Ismail Khan, Additional District and Sessions judge sentenced an ex-MPA Khalifa Abdul Qayyum, to three-year imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5000 over fake degree after which the former lawmaker was immediately sent to lock up. Another lower court sentenced former MNA Javaid Iqbal Tarkai from PF-32 Swabi II over holding dual nationality. New judicial history is in the making. Curtains are falling down on those powerful and influential who had cheated on the supreme institutions to serve their personal interests.
Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Court laid down stringent rules for legislators and suggested to them to disclose everything while filing nomination papers because they would have to be chosen by electors as their representatives. The Supreme Court has provided another opportunity to 189 lawmakers to get their certificates verified by April 5 from the Higher Education Commission through the Election Commission of Pakistan. The list includes names of some of the big guns like Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Afrasiab Khattak, Sardar Jamal Khan Leghari, Engineer Amir Muqam, Bushra Gohar, Attiya Inayatullah, Begum Shahnaz Sheikh, Chaudhry Naseer Ahmed Bhutta, Mahreen Anwar Raja, Mukhdoon Javed Hashmi,Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, Mian Manzoor Ahmed Khan Wattoo, Bilal Yaseen, Ghulam Farid Khathia, Imtiaz Safdar Warriach, Samina Khalid Ghurki, Rukhsana Bangash, Sardar Arshad Khan Leghari, Shahbaz Bhatti, Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, Malik Nauman Ahmed Langriyal, Qasim Zia and Nadia Gabol. The 189 ex-legislators, perhaps think themselves above the law, are yet to submit their educational certificates to the HEC for verification despite repeated reminders. No system in the world can yield desired results if it is run by cheaters or semi-literates. Unfortunately, the Parliament of Pakistan, that completed its term for the first time, was represented by cheaters, defaulters and semi-literates thus compromised the interests of the nation whenever needed. Well over 50 per cent of the members of the outgoing Parliament cheated in their declarations submitted to the Election Commission in the previous elections. Without any discrimination and relaxation, these cheaters should be dealt in accordance with law of the land. The court has rightly directed the ECP to ask all returning officers to withhold the assessment of nomination papers of those legislators who intended to contest the elections again till the time the HEC decides about the authenticity of their certificates. Regardless of the stature and influence of any leader or representative, no one-be he is Ch Nisar Ali or any body else-should be allowed to contest the next elections if he does not fulfill the criteria under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution. Nothing less than true and honest representation in the Parliament is acceptable to the nation this time around. The judicial trials of all 54 legislators, holding fake degrees, will set the tune for the fair elections.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Pakistan: Cheaters in jails, others to follow
On Tuesday, for the first time, influential lawmakers were sent to jail for making false declaration to reach the Parliament. In Sibi, Balochistan, former federal minister Humayun Aziz Kurd was sentenced to one year jail and fined Rs 5000 for submitting fake degree to the Election Commission. Kurd was arrested from the courtroom following the sentence, and was sent to the district jail. Therein Dera Ismail Khan, Additional District and Sessions judge sentenced an ex-MPA Khalifa Abdul Qayyum, to three-year imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5000 over fake degree after which the former lawmaker was immediately sent to lock up. Another lower court sentenced former MNA Javaid Iqbal Tarkai from PF-32 Swabi II over holding dual nationality. New judicial history is in the making. Curtains are falling down on those powerful and influential who had cheated on the supreme institutions to serve their personal interests.
Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Court laid down stringent rules for legislators and suggested to them to disclose everything while filing nomination papers because they would have to be chosen by electors as their representatives. The Supreme Court has provided another opportunity to 189 lawmakers to get their certificates verified by April 5 from the Higher Education Commission through the Election Commission of Pakistan. The list includes names of some of the big guns like Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Afrasiab Khattak, Sardar Jamal Khan Leghari, Engineer Amir Muqam, Bushra Gohar, Attiya Inayatullah, Begum Shahnaz Sheikh, Chaudhry Naseer Ahmed Bhutta, Mahreen Anwar Raja, Mukhdoon Javed Hashmi,Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, Mian Manzoor Ahmed Khan Wattoo, Bilal Yaseen, Ghulam Farid Khathia, Imtiaz Safdar Warriach, Samina Khalid Ghurki, Rukhsana Bangash, Sardar Arshad Khan Leghari, Shahbaz Bhatti, Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, Malik Nauman Ahmed Langriyal, Qasim Zia and Nadia Gabol. The 189 ex-legislators, perhaps think themselves above the law, are yet to submit their educational certificates to the HEC for verification despite repeated reminders. No system in the world can yield desired results if it is run by cheaters or semi-literates. Unfortunately, the Parliament of Pakistan, that completed its term for the first time, was represented by cheaters, defaulters and semi-literates thus compromised the interests of the nation whenever needed. Well over 50 per cent of the members of the outgoing Parliament cheated in their declarations submitted to the Election Commission in the previous elections. Without any discrimination and relaxation, these cheaters should be dealt in accordance with law of the land. The court has rightly directed the ECP to ask all returning officers to withhold the assessment of nomination papers of those legislators who intended to contest the elections again till the time the HEC decides about the authenticity of their certificates. Regardless of the stature and influence of any leader or representative, no one-be he is Ch Nisar Ali or any body else-should be allowed to contest the next elections if he does not fulfill the criteria under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution. Nothing less than true and honest representation in the Parliament is acceptable to the nation this time around. The judicial trials of all 54 legislators, holding fake degrees, will set the tune for the fair elections.
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