State institutions have to be neutral
The neutrality of the state institutions is being questioned as these continue to target a single political party. And that too for crimes committed by some belonging to other parties also who enjoy immunity.
No suo motu action followed when foul language was used by the Terhik-e-Labbaik leadership against the superior court judges despite the video having gone viral on social media. A vocal PML-N minister who was a candidate in forthcoming elections has however been sentenced for contempt of court while another one is facing trial on a similar charge. Another former MNA has been jailed and fined for contempt of court. NAB arrested another PML-N candidate for NA before any charge against him could be proved. An over-zealous appellate tribunal sentenced former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to lifelong disqualification but a two-member LHC bench overturned the decision. Nawaz Sharif has been summoned now by the ECP on a petition maintaining that the registration of the PML-N is illegal as it is registered under the name of a man disqualified by SC. Would the PML-N candidates be declared disqualified if Sharif fails to turn up or his name is not replaced? Prominent PML-N leaders including Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz, Khwaja Saad Rafique and Miftah Ismail have either been grilled by NAB or have been summoned by the accountability body. If the cases against some of the former army generals, who were not put on the ECL, can be delayed on the plea that they are out of the country, why can’t the cases against PML-N leaders wait till after the 25 July elections? What explains these double standards?
In a well-coordinated move, four PML-N nominees from South Punjab returned their party tickets on the last day in order to deprive PML-N from supporting new candidates from their constituencies. The move bears the signature of an agency, which took pride in activities of the sort in 2002 elections.
While it is difficult to gauge the impact of the moves on the outcome of the elections, what remains beyond doubt is that those acting like partisans have made the elections suspect before these are held.
The neutrality of the state institutions is being questioned as these continue to target a single political party. And that too for crimes committed by some belonging to other parties also who enjoy immunity.
No suo motu action followed when foul language was used by the Terhik-e-Labbaik leadership against the superior court judges despite the video having gone viral on social media. A vocal PML-N minister who was a candidate in forthcoming elections has however been sentenced for contempt of court while another one is facing trial on a similar charge. Another former MNA has been jailed and fined for contempt of court. NAB arrested another PML-N candidate for NA before any charge against him could be proved. An over-zealous appellate tribunal sentenced former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to lifelong disqualification but a two-member LHC bench overturned the decision. Nawaz Sharif has been summoned now by the ECP on a petition maintaining that the registration of the PML-N is illegal as it is registered under the name of a man disqualified by SC. Would the PML-N candidates be declared disqualified if Sharif fails to turn up or his name is not replaced? Prominent PML-N leaders including Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz, Khwaja Saad Rafique and Miftah Ismail have either been grilled by NAB or have been summoned by the accountability body. If the cases against some of the former army generals, who were not put on the ECL, can be delayed on the plea that they are out of the country, why can’t the cases against PML-N leaders wait till after the 25 July elections? What explains these double standards?
In a well-coordinated move, four PML-N nominees from South Punjab returned their party tickets on the last day in order to deprive PML-N from supporting new candidates from their constituencies. The move bears the signature of an agency, which took pride in activities of the sort in 2002 elections.
While it is difficult to gauge the impact of the moves on the outcome of the elections, what remains beyond doubt is that those acting like partisans have made the elections suspect before these are held.
