Our general elections are around the corner and yet there are no signs of arrangements for free, fair and transparent elections. The Election Commission, except for the CEC, has not been formed as per constitution which Dr Tahirul Qadri has amply explained. The electoral rolls being used for the balloting has many problems like what is the actual existence of voters on ground, checking of turnout against actual registered voters in a constituency, mandatory presence of polling agents at each polling station at the time of counting, actual number of votes polled vis-a-vis total votes declared in a constituency etc. Besides fairness in polling, what powers the EC has against a candidate who is found ineligible to contest or is found cheating or pressurising the polling staff, which is found very common in our elections, especially in rural areas? What are the criteria to judge a candidate against Article 62 and 63 of the constitution? Some parameters should be laid down as one finds hardly anyone in Pakistan who is sadiq and ameen.
The caretaker setup before the elections should have been decided by now. The dilly-dallying by the government gives indications of ill intentions of the rulers. The nation is becoming apprehensive if the elections would be held in time.
MUHAMMAD AZHAR KHWAJA
Lahore
