Heads may roll for controversial change in nomination papers

ISLAMABAD: Heads may roll as the ruling party’s probe committee has identified at least one person who had allegedly drafted the controversial change to the declaration relating to Khatm-e-Nabuwwat in the nomination papers under the Election Act 2017.

However, there is no confirmation whether the person who allegedly drafted the controversial change, which was initially passed but later reversed by parliament, had done it intentionally or unintentionally.

Informed sources said that the PML-N probe committee, which was constituted by Nawaz Sharif, confirmed that there has been a lapse on the part of others for not noticing the controversial change. However, there is at least one person identified for drafting the controversial change in the declaration.

The probe committee was headed by Senator Raja Zafarul Haq while its members were Senator Mushahidullah Khan and Ahsan Iqbal.

The name of the person identified is not being disclosed for security reasons and also for the purpose that there is no confirmation whether he/she did it intentionally or it was an unintentional act.

It has, however, been confirmed that parliament passed the controversial change as was recommended by the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms. Neither any member (from any political party) of parliament noticed the change nor was the issue of changing the “oath” to a mere “declaration” ever discussed in the electoral reforms committee.

According to the probe committee, even the law minister failed to notice the change drafted and placed before the electoral reforms committee.

The change made in the nomination paper was first noticed when JUI(F) Senator Haifz Hamdullah objected to it in the Senate when the-then Election Bill 2017 was put before the Upper House for voting. The senator said the language of the solemn affirmation of the oath was being amended and thus he moved an amendment to protect the declaration under oath. However, the Senate with majority rejected his amendment and passed what was suggested by the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms.

In the National Assembly, Jamaat-e-Islami MNA Sahibzada Tariq Ullah had moved an amendment to counter the proposed change but his amendment was also rejected by the Lower House.

According to sources, the PML-N probe committee has pointed out that there is a general realisation among members of parliament irrespective of their party affiliation that they had committed a mistake due to the-then focus of all on Section 203 of the Election Act 2017, which had resulted in the re-election of Nawaz Sharif as PML-N president.

The PML-N probe committee though also referred to Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s statement that the passage of controversial law was the consequence of collective failure of parliament, yet the committee recommended action against those found responsible.

Within days after the passage of the highly controversial law, both the houses of parliament unanimously amended the Election Act 2017 to bring back the original oath for declaration regarding Khatm-e-Nabuwwat.