Graduation Condition
By Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)
Westridge, Rawalpindi
It is good to do away with the graduation condition which was not serving the purpose in the strictest sense. Most non-graduate fathers and fathers-in-law had sent their graduate sons, daughters and daughter- in-law to the assemblies. Other gentlemen of honour to be trusted with the sacred task of law making had obtained fake degrees. Similarly almost every mullah had found his way to the assembly through the pontiff parchment issued by a madrassa that he had attended in his childhood.
I think instead of any educational qualifications for the MPAs/MNAs to be, the voter MUST have the vision and the wisdom to elect proper, responsible and capable representatives. For that he must have one of the following qualifications:
a. Middle or Matriculate (Parliament to decide)
b. Property Owner - Urban or Rural, Real Estate or Agricultural (Parliament to decide minimum value)
c. Self Employed/Businessman (Income Tax payer)
d. Employer providing employment to certain number of people (Parliament to fix the number)
e. Pakistanis living abroad.
f. Any other category keeping in view the voter’s ability of being responsible and knowledgeable.
Such a voter will thwart the hereditary peers, Makhdooms, Chaudhries, waderas, feudals and their scions from being elected through their 'captive' voters and the voters falling in the above categories will elect the right people to serve the masses rather than themselves.
Holding of elections with comparatively lesser number of voters will cost less and these could be held frequently to screen out the bad eggs.
But will the parliament allow this?
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Political Statement
Mr Asif Zardari, Co-Chairman PPPP, has quite nonchalantly absolved himself of the 30-day commitment made by him to the nation at the Murree ( or was it Bhourbon?) Declaration by simply saying, “That was a political statement”. Do all worthy politicians making political statements not mean what they say?
