First major surrender of all-powerful Election Commission

ISLAMABAD: Despite being far more powerful and independent than before, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in 2018 is shying away from the 2013 election practice of placing on website the details of nomination papers of all candidates as well as concerned government departments’ scrutiny response.

Neither previously nor after the enactment of the Election Act, 2017, there is any legal bar on the ECP stopping it from using the internet facility for greater response from the public and the media over the declarations of the election candidates. However, still the ECP this time is avoiding doing what it did in 2013.

Sources said the ECP does not want to upset the political parties which during the recent years have been strongly expressing their reservations over placing the details of their assets, nomination papers etc. on its website.

All the political parties having representation in the last parliament, including the PML-N, PPP and PTI during their deliberations on electoral reform package, had strongly protested against this policy of the Election Commission.

The last parliament had even sought from the Election Commission to avoid placing on its official website the assets and wealth declaration of MPs. The present ECP initially resisted but later succumbed to the political parties’ pressure and even removed from its website the 2013 election data relating to candidates.

The Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms had asked the ECP that the details of their assets etc. should be removed from the commission’s website for security reasons and to protect the privacy of the members of the parliament.

The MPs were of the view that making their asset declaration (as reflected in their 2013 nomination papers) public not only tantamount to breach of their privacy but it may also encourage criminals to rob them through kidnapping and other unlawful acts.

The ECP, which had discussed the matter, initially did not appear convinced from the parliamentarians’ argument. The commission, according to the sources, was of the view that the information about the wealth and assets declaration of the MPs should be available to all and sundry so that people could raise question about parliamentarians’ financial matters for scrutiny purposes.

Later, the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms furthered its pressure on the ECP, following which the commission removed from its website all details of MPs assets, etc., besides removing details of nomination papers of all candidates of the 2013 elections.

It was following the unearthing of the Panama scandal that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) removed from its website the huge data of nomination papers and annexures of thousands of politicians who had contested the 2013 general elections containing details of their ‘declared’ local and foreign properties and accounts, etc.

The presence of nomination papers of all contestants of 2013 general elections, including the returned candidates of National Assembly as well as provincial assemblies on the ECP website, was considered a great source of information for voters, citizens as well as the media.

In addition to details of declared local and foreign assets, properties, bank accounts, vehicles etc. the nominations papers also contain information like CNIC and NTN numbers of politicians using which any voter or citizen can check the taxes paid by leaders during any financial year and other details of their investment locally or abroad. Details given in the nomination papers help voters to hold their leaders accountable.

In relation to the 2013 elections, the ECP had shared details of the nomination papers of more than 15,000 politicians, who had contested elections from 849 national and provincial constituencies and on 221 reserved seats.

In case of 1,070 legislators of the last parliament including the then 342 MNAs, 65 MPAs from Balochistan Assembly, 124 MPAs from KP Assembly, 371 MPAs from Punjab Assembly and 168 MPAs from Sindh Assembly, their nomination papers also contained complete annexures having more details of companies owned by the individuals, complete details of shares, properties, bank accounts, vehicles, ornaments etc. But the present ECP removed all the data from its website.