Daily Times

The environment in the country in the run up to the July 25 polls is far from ideal.

There’s no doubt that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) must be making arrangements for the upcoming polls with utmost sincerity. However, the gigantic nature of the exercise means that some oversights may be unavoidable. The best course of action for the election manager, therefore, is to pay heed to criticism coming from institutions and personnel who have great sacrifices for the democratic cause of the country.

In such a situation, ECP’s decision to postpone elections in NA-60 where Hanif Abbasi of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stands disqualified to contest after his conviction in the ephedrine case is a welcome move.

The late night announcement of the verdict in Abbasi’s case was condemned by many commentators for the poor timing, coming just a few days before the general elections. The timing also led Abbasi’s party to link the decision to what it has claimed is a campaign against it led by segments in the judicial-military establishment. In the run-up to the general elections, multiple court decisions have emerged against N-League candidates, most notable of them being the party’s quaid Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz.

While the PML-N’s claims may seem a bit too far-fetched to many, the fact remains that several impartial legal observers have raised serious reservations over the merits of these judgements. These reservations should warrant consideration by the judiciary itself, since the impartiality of this most honourable institution of the state must be upheld at all cost. That is important also so that the public’s trust in the judiciary remains intact.

So, when they take up these cases, we expect that the courts of appeal to also take into account all legitimate concerns over the trial court verdicts.  *

Published in Daily Times, July 23^rd 2018.