Respecting electoral mandate

It is time political parties, state institutions and everybody else respect the mandate given by the people to serve them. The MQM has political mandate to represent people of Karachi as long as it respects laws of land and refrains from forming private militias and taking law in their hand. The same must apply to PPP, PML-N, PTI, JUI, JI, ANP etc. Democracy is a rule of laws, not of men or whims of political leaders.

Nobody, including paid civil or uniformed bureaucracy should be above law, nor should they demand immunity from prosecution. In fact elected political leaders must serve as role models by submitting to supremacy of constitution. Taxes must be paid by every citizen, especially those who hold public office. Tax evasion is a conspiracy against state, more serious a crime than murder, and those caught should be given exemplary punishments, along-with seizure of assets.

Electoral mandate is not a license to abuse laws, protect criminals, collect extortion and kill those who dare to disagree, nor is it a permit to occupy state or private land, usurp constitutional rights of law abiding citizens and employ in state owned corporations citizens in violation of merit, in the process overburdening them and driving them to bankruptcy. Mandate does not give representatives right to occupy schools and colleges built in their jurisdiction, denying citizens their constitutional right to seek education, form no-go areas or plunder state funds allocated for welfare and health services.

It is also time for our paid civil and uniformed services to perform their designated constitutional duties within confines of laws in existence. As long as laws prevail, the writ of state is ensured; otherwise, there will be chaos which is already visible and needs to be clamped down with an iron hand.

ALI MALIK TARIQ

Lahore