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Thursday March 28, 2024

Election Bill 2017: PML-N’s move unwise in prevailing scenario

By Nisar Mahmood
September 25, 2017

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) move to get the Election Bill 2017 passed from the Senate in a bid to amend the Political Parties Order 2002 to pave the way for a disqualified person to become the head of a political party cannot be termed a wise decision.

The bill if adopted by the National Assembly would not only draw criticism for the ruling PML-N for being a person-specific legislation, but would benefit its arch rival more than the N-League.

Despite difference of opinion and intra-party rifts, the PML-N could be kept united by elevating a leader other than Nawaz Sharif as president of the party. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Begum Kulsoom Nawaz or even Maryam Nawaz or any other senior leader can lead the party till the 2018 general election.

On the other hand its arch rival, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) would be more vulnerable to division in case its chief Imran Khan is disqualified. He is also facing charges like Nawaz Sharif and his cases are already in the Supreme Court.

The post-disqualification support and unity in the PML-N rank and file and the result of NA-120 Lahore by-election showed the party stood united even at a difficult time.

The party could be kept united through alternate leadership coming from the Sharif family.

Reserving party leadership for Nawaz Sharif would no longer be a big issue with the passage of time if he is cleared of charges by the accountability courts.

Besides, leading the party would be of no use for Nawaz Sharif in case the whole Sharif family is thrown out of the corridors of power through the courts.

However, it would be very difficult for the PTI to accept a leader other than Imran Khan.

According to senior lawyers and political analysts, it seems difficult that Imran Khan would walk scot-free from the court of law following Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

Independent analysts are of the view that PTI revolved around Imran Khan and for the public, particularly the youth, he was the source of inspiration as the other figures giving him company aren’t crowd-pullers.

Although the new Election Bill has many positive things aimed at reforming the faulty election system, the section repealing tabs on a person not qualifying for election as Member National Assembly as party head could not be justified at least in the current scenario.

It would have been better for PML-N if it had delayed the process of passing the bill till the court verdicts on cases seeking disqualification of other political figures.

Critics of the legislation see PTI senators’ walkout from the Upper House a calculated move to facilitate the smooth passage of the bill.

They argued that had the PTI lawmakers not staged a walkout the amendment would not have been defeated by a single vote.

Such person-specific legislation might question the credibility of political parties claiming transparency in electoral system and strengthening democratic institutions.

It would be a wise decision on the part of PML-N to delay the legislation till decision on the pending cases in the courts are announced.