There is a standard for all jobs and responsibilities. A certain person with certain qualifications is fit to be a teacher, or an administrator or an accountant. A certain person with such skills is supposed to be engine driver or a bus driver. A certain person with certain number of hours or years of experience is supposed to be a pilot of an aircraft. In most cases we make no compromises. There are normally maximum and minimum limits.
Police report is usually a part of prequalification. But it is amazing that we have no standards fixed to be an MNA or MPA or Senator in our country. These legislators are supposed to make laws, amend constitution, reframe legal network, represent Pakistan abroad, get a seat in the cabinet, debate on threats to the country, and discuss broad outline of foreign policy and alliances. Instead, most of what we get to see on TV is sick and uneducated people.
Above all, they are not accountable to anyone for anything. This dichotomy is funny. Why can’t ECP reframe and publish prequalification charter? Why can’t ECP verify each fact at the very outset? Why can’t we get to know their assets before and after elections and have them verified and audited? Why can’t we check their nationalities?
In other words, why can’t we evolve a proper system of eligibility for high offices? If we start doing this, 50 percent of the problems in our country will be over in one day. The remaining 50 percent will get solved when we have able-minded and serious legislators for five-year tenure.
AMJAD H MIRZA
Lahore