ISLAMABAD: Major political parties have blasted the federal government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for removing the nomination papers of more than 15,000 politicians containing details of local and foreign properties and bank accounts from ECP website in the midst of Panama Papers scandal involving ruling family.
ECP in its clarification issued on Thursday tried to confuse people regarding its wrongdoing of protecting high and mighty and claimed that the ‘removed record’ of assets and bank accounts of parliamentarians was available for public scrutiny during office hours at ECP’s headquarters in Islamabad on payment of fee without explaining as to how people living in far-flung areas would obtain the same information and how much time provision of such information would it take.
The political parties’ leaders said that ECP was being misused in the midst of Panama Papers scandal and removing information about assets of politicians, nomination papers and annexure from website was the worst example of protecting illegitimate acts of the powerful elite.
Senior PTI leader Naeemul Haq while giving PTI’s stance said, “We condemn any attempt by government to influence ECP in removing data of nomination papers and details of assets of parliamentarians and politicians from ECP web.” Naeem said that this was a blatant act of dishonesty and yet another attempt of the federal government to hide illegitimate wealth of the country’s elite.
“The loyalties of the ECP members are already exposed and PTI trusts that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) will move to reverse this blatant act,” Naeem added. PTI will resist this on every forum, he said. Naeemul Haq said that PTI would not only lodge a proper complaint against this act but would also raise the issue in the National Assembly.
Syed Naveed Qamar of Pakistan People’s Party who is also a member of Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms (PCER) said that it was clear view of his party that such information and the nomination papers of the details of assets must be publicly available for public scrutiny. “Removing such information is certainly wrong and unacceptable,” Naveed Qamar said. He added when PCER came to know about removing of assets’ statements by ECP from its website, it immediately asked the ECP to upload the same back on web. He said that people of Pakistan must not be deprived of their basic right to know about their own leaders. He said that act of ECP was wrong and must be reversed.
Mushahid Hussain Sayed of PML-Q, who is also a member of PCER, while talking to The News said when the world and Pakistan were moving towards transparency and openness such acts could not be tolerated. “The PCER has never ordered ECP to remove information regarding assets or nomination papers from its web. It is absolutely untrue,” Mushahid said adding, “Instead, when committee comes to know about this act of ECP, it has immediately asked ECP to reverse its action and upload the statements of assets back on their website. But, unfortunately, it was not done and now even the nomination papers had been removed.” Mushahid was of the view that the information about assets of politicians and parliamentarians must be publicly available and uploading this on website was the best way to do that. “Nothing about leaders should be hidden from people,” Mushahid added.
Aftab Sherpao, chief of Qaumi Watan Party, a member of PCER, while talking to The News said that this issue was discussed during a meeting of sub-committee of the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms which asked ECP to remove the data about parliamentarians’ assets from ECP website. Sherpao said that the information about assets of parliamentarians and nomination papers must remain available on ECP website and removing them was an absolutely wrong act on part of the ECP.
Ghous Bux Khan Mahar, senior leader of PML-F, a member of PCER, which is government ally, while talking to The News said that the ECP accusation that Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms had asked it to remove assets’ details from its website was untrue. He said that information about assets and properties of political leaders must be accessible to the people. He said that he hoped that ECP would review its decision and upload the details of parliamentarians back on its website.
