Daily Times

Sir: NA and Senate have passed a law that grants permission to the convicted individuals to head a political party. But it is a pertinent question raised by the SC whether convicted robbers or drug smugglers can be allowed to head political parties.

The sanctity of vote is violated when those elected to represent people of Pakistan are involved in unethical activities. When laws are passed to facilitate, instead of clamping down on tax evasion, money laundering, flight of capital and human resources, than those who are already involved in such activities will keep on doing so with impunity.

Pakistan’s national exchequer and state owned enterprises are on brink of economic collapse because elected executive of this country have chosen to appoint corrupt mediocre individuals who have driven Pakistan to bankruptcy. The unfortunate reality is that all political parties facilitated in passing this controversial bill allowing convicted person to head a political party in Senate of Pakistan where PML-N and its allies are in minority. If all senators present in Pakistan had voted against bill, this country and those who were elected through democratic process would not have been guilty of hypocrisy. Those who voted for PTI, PPP, and MQM etc. expected them to stand up for principles and not just boycott both NA and Senate of Pakistan.

MALIK TARIQ ALI

Lahore

Published in Daily Times, February 18^th 2018.