Though parliament’s term is going to end by March 16, around a dozen parliamentarians who have crossed the floor are still enjoying all perks and privileges as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is yet to take action on their violation of the defection clause, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Zafar Ali Shah, Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Amir Muqam, Sardar Ghous Baksh Khan Mehr, Riaz Fatiana, Awais Khan Leghari, Deewan Ashiq Bokhari, Pir Mohammad Aslam Bodla, Raja Asad, Raja Safdar, Saifuddin Khosa, Ayaz Shah Shirazi and many others have switched loyalties from their parent parties, but are still drawing salaries from the national exchequer.
“The parliamentarians who have switched parties have no right to draw salaries and avail perks and privileges, and they should resign immediately,” legal expert SM Zafar said while talking to Pakistan Today, adding, “It is a bad tradition which is injurious to the democratic process. All parties should close their doors on those who switch parties like this.”
When asked why the ECP was not taking action against the turncoats, Zafar said the ECP had no power to take suo motu notice but the party concerned had to approach it to get them disqualified. “Elections are close so talking to the ECP right now would be an exercise in futility,” he said. Replying to another query that the PML-N had kept its doors open to welcome the turncoats, SM Zafar said that it was against the very principle of politics to welcome turncoats, hence all the parties should keep their door closed for them.
He said that there was a difference between “politics of reconciliation” and “muk-muka”, adding that the former was based on principle while the latter was based on benefiting each other for a favour. He further said that the latter was not a good omen for the country’s future.
When contacted, Riaz Hussain Pirzada, who has left the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) for the PML-N, said that he had been elected by the people of his area, therefore he could not be de-seated even if he had parted ways with his parent party.
“My party had given me a ministry but I had resigned from my ministerial portfolio owing to my differences with party leadership on certain issues,” he asserted.