LETTER TO EDITOR
March 10th, 2013
The Hapless ECP
Today’s newspapers carry front page headlines about the helplessness of the ECP expressed by its honourable members. One reads, “Plan to nab thieves turned govt against reforms: ECP members”. The other says, “Justice ® Khan says 100 per cent fair polls cannot be guaranteed in the absence of reforms”. Justice ® Kayani says govt. tears apart Reform Agenda” etc.
If the ECP cannot guarantee 100 per cent fair and free elections or keep the corrupt and dishonest away from taking part in elections and considers the present rulers to be the cause for it all, then I think, the only honourable course of action left to them is to resign en bloc from the commission. It will not only shake the very foundations of the corrupt rulers in this country but send a very strong message all over the world!!
But …. alas, will they do it?!!
Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)
Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)
30 Westridge 1
Rawalpindi 46000
Pakistan
Tel: (051) 5158033
E.mail: [email protected]
Additional Reading:
A senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has urged the chief election commissioner (CEC) to take notice of “pre-poll rigging” by the ruling coalition.
Only weeks before the upcoming parliamentary elections, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is hiring loyalists on important government posts that could influence election results, PML-N Senator Tariq Azim said in a statement on Sunday.
He urged the CEC to “save the national exchequer from becoming PPP’s election war chest”.
Senator Azeem pointed out that the prime minister’s discretionary fund had been increased to Rs37 billion by slashing funding from crucial national projects like Basha Dam. Using development funds for PPP’s election campaign through the prime minister is blatant pre-poll rigging, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 7th, 2013.
