News
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Reward for Jamshed Dasti, but what about the voters of NA-178By Muhammad Akram
LAHORE: It shocked many when Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani appointed the disgraced ex-MNA of his party, Jamshed Dasti his adviser on livestock, a fortnight after the latter opted to resign from his seat to avoid a jail sentence, since his graduation degree had been proven to be fake in the Supreme Court. The confusion only increased when the notorious politician from Muzaffargarh was awarded a party ticket as well. The PPP parliamentary board reportedly took this decision in a meeting held at the Presideny on Friday, with President Asif Ali Zardari in the chair. Prime Minister Gilani was also present at the meeting along with other party members.
The PPP candidate, Jamshed Dasti, procured his fake degree to become eligible to contest the 2008 general elections, when it was the law that only a graduate could contest elections for parliament. The law was abolished last year, but the election petitions lying with courts had to be decided and many a legislator, including Jamshed Dasti, was offered that he resign from his seats to avoid any punishment on the charges of procuring and producing fake degrees to contest general elections.
The charges of procuring a fake degree were thus less criminal and more a moral misdemeanour. And to address this moral issue, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif forced his party’s MNA from Rawalpindi – Haji Pervaiz Khan – to resign, as he had been proved guilty of hiring someone to sit in examinations in his place.
But, on the other hand, the PPP is starting to lag behind on the question of morality, as instead of following the example set by its political competitors, it is setting its own wrong precedent.
The condition of holding a BA degree to become a legislator was a bad law by any standard and thus rightly repealed by parliament, yet the existence of a bad law does not permit someone to avoid it by unfair means. Procuring a fake degree or using unfair means in examinations to get a degree is covered under the criminal law of the land and violators of the law must be punished rather than rewarded as in Dasti’s case.
Dasti remained a parliamentarian for slightly over two years and was the chairman of the NA Committee on Sports. But in both capacities, he failed to leave his mark. He had always been found on the wrong side of the divide on major national issues and was made to eat his words of allegation against the Pakistan cricket team during its tour of Australia and New Zealand.
He was the one who was reprimanded by National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza when she called him a “troublemaker” in the House. One cannot recall any piece of legislation that carries his name or a speech made by him on any issue. There is no evidence to suggest that he is a worthy legislator or a true representative who brings forth the issue of his constituents.
The assemblies might be full of the likes of Jamshed Dastis, but still, awarding a person who had cheated his constituents and the law seems a decision worth reconsidering as soon as possible.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk