Honourable Justice (Retd) Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim – the newly appointed CEC has openly admitted that it will be a ‘challenging’ task for him to hold the free and fair elections as expected of him by the nation. Probably he had just in mind the violations of the PEC rules committed by the contestants in the recently held NA 151 bye elections in Multan and the helplessness of the Election Commission to take any action against the winner, who in spite of the blatant violations of the rules has been sworn in to the august house.
It would certainly be a ‘challenging’ and an uphill task for the CEC. So why not make it a little easier and manageable for him? The only way that I can think of to keep the powerful, hereditary and professionals out of the arena is that that the masses (the constituents) do the gherao of their respective present representatives and extract a promise from them that since they have failed us not only they but also their immediate near ones and dear ones shall not contest any elections in future. The people then should look around and select the best and most suitable person among from themselves and ask him/her to represent them in the assemblies. If he/she shows any reluctance to oblige, he/she must be forced to do so even at the proverbial “point of the sword” if need be as was done to Hazrat Ali (A.S) by the people of Medina after the Shahadat of Hazrat Usman (R.A.) That way we might get some fresh and probably youngsters who may prove to be more dedicated, selfless, honest and capable than our present parliamentarians and in the process the lot of the masses may also be ameliorated.
COL. RIAZ JAFRI (RETD),
Rawalpindi, July 29.