Candidates going through the much-hyped scrutiny by the Election Commission of Pakistan find the process not as scary as being depicted by the media.
It seems business as usual exercise to most aspirants, as close to 14,000 candidates wait in the wings to go through the mill.
As such, chances of disqualifications on a larger level are not as evident as being feared by some circles.
Interestingly, the new-comers or those hoping to enter parliament for the first time have nothing to worry at all. And they would have no problem in getting through to the next phase.
The reason is simple: As a first timer, they start a journey with a clean slate with nothing against them with NAB, revenue authority or the government to make grounds for disqualification.
Their real accountability will start after entering parliament or when they contest elections the next time. Before that, it is not possible to know if they have withheld any vital information from the ECP.
Stories already coming out of the ECP and being shared by the candidates with their colleagues and contenders after scrutiny are adding to the comfort of other aspirants. Political leaders say the process is same as before, witnessed by them several times.
Mostly, the Retuning Officers are judicial officers with no magic wand to ascertain whether a candidate is misleading the ECP or not. In most cases, it is the rival candidates that provide information or evidence that show a candidate not eligible to contest election under given rules.
But if the rival candidates do not speak up or have nothing to share with the ECP, the aspirants are almost through the process, no matter how rigorous it is.
Political leaders told Pakistan Today that even this time around, real challenge to a candidate would come from his rivals in the constituency.
They said the media had the candidates worried, as it could expose if an aspirant was covering up something.
As such, candidates are more frightened by the SC instead of the ECP. The SC has already taken suo moto notice against fake degree-holders after it found ECP not taking a firm stand on the issue. The fate of 189 parliamentarians is at stake with time ticking against them.
One high-profile case is that of former opposition leader Nisar Ali Khan. The HEC has some problems with his Senior Cambridge and the equivalence certificate he produced before it.
Similarly, several women candidates from major parties are also in the danger zone after the SC notice.
