SC, nomination papers, and the vote

• Elections on time, period!

Full marks once again to Chief Justice Saqib Nisar for suspending the LHC decision ordering revision of candidates’ nomination papers that all but put a monkey wrench in the works as far as timely elections were concerned. For a single judge verdict of the high court to derail the election schedule, so close to the vote when the election date has been announced and a caretaker prime minister was in place, was like asking for confusion and chaos. It would have been more understandable, as sections of the press have noted, if the possibility of a larger bench were considered, keeping in mind especially the wave of judicial activism always making the headlines.

Already, indications that some parties — or interest groups at least — are looking to delay the elections for unexplained reasons have caused a considerable degree of uncertainty. Among other things, political ambiguity of late has also rocked the country’s stock market; where political matters mostly overshadowed financial news and kept the bourse in red for three consecutive weeks, causing many billions in foreign portfolio investment to flee the Islamic Republic. Yet there is something to be said about nomination papers that do not carry information like nominees’ education, job, dual nationality (if any), criminal record and other such issues.

That is why the Supreme Court has rightly made it mandatory for contestants to file affidavits, along with nomination papers, requiring them to disclose information omitted in the new forms. That should satisfy critics who feared an unruly takeover of the House because of the ambiguities in the filing of papers. It is essential, considering the larger scheme of things, for the democratic process not to hit an unnecessary wall at this point in time. The Supreme Court is clearly living up to its promise of holding the general election on time. With so much political noise on the horizon, it is heartening to note that one by one all roadblocks on the way to the elections are being removed amicably.