ISLAMABAD, June 10: Speakers at a seminar have called for setting up an independent election commission to ensure free, fair and impartial elections which is the bedrock for a strong democratic system.
Speaking at a seminar on 'Indian elections: Lessons for Pakistan', organized by Pattan Development Organization here on Thursday, parliamentarians and politicians criticized the present chief election commissioner for his failure to conduct fair elections.
They were of the view that in Pakistan political parties system was weak compared to India because of regular military interventions. They said money politics played a major role in almost all parts of the country, including the US, but sanctity of the vote and respect of people's verdict had strengthened the democratic system in other parts of the world.
Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Syed Zafar Ali Shah said in both India and Pakistan, there was a parliamentary system, but unlike Pakistan, India had an elected president.
The PML-N leader said the Election Commission (EC) in Pakistan did not have any credibility. "What happened in the May 12 by-polls in Karachi? When the EC cannot hold by-elections in three or four constituencies, how can we talk about its credibility," he questioned.
He said politicians and political parties also had a role in the present deteriorating situation in the country. "Our political parties have voted a chief of the army staff for the office of president. This is a hard fact," he added.
He said unfortunately in Pakistan a change in government had never taken place through vote. Parliamentary leader of the People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) in the Senate Raza Rabbani said history showed that elections were held in the country only when it became difficult for a military dictator to retain his uniform.
Mr Rabbani said there was no need of having an independent EC in a country where results were prepared even before the elections. The PPP senator said in India elections were held under the Constitution while in Pakistan these were conducted under special laws and LFO. Moreover, he said, laws were being amended only to facilitate personalities.
PPP MNA Fauzia Wahab said the political parties system was strong in India. She said Congress was an old party and it had played a major role in the independence movement. She said before partition, Congress had organizations at lower level while the Pakistan Muslim League was considered a party of elite.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) MNA Kunwar Khalid Younus said Pakistan was competing with India in all fields whether its sports or arms race. "What about democracy and its essential ingredients? Did we have any courage to compete with India in such a field," he said, adding: "the answer is a big no."
He said appointment of a CEC was not a joke in India. The basic criteria for such a selection, he said, was his or her reputation, integrity and above all the record of judgments from day one in case he or she belonged to judiciary.
The MQM MNA said under the laws in India there was restriction on candidates that they could not use religious places for their election campaigns. In Pakistan, he said, most of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) candidates started and ran their campaigns in mosques. He said worshippers were asked to vote for the book and as it would be like voting for the Holy Book.
Sindhi nationalist leader Rasool Bakhsh Palejo said though the Muslims of Pakistan got independence in 1947, mentally they were still slave. "We have not passed even a single day as an independent nation," he said. He was of the view that there was no comparison between India and Pakistan in any field.
Earlier, Coordinator of Pattan Sarwar Bari made a presentation about the Indian elections, which he had prepared after witnessing election process in India. Mr Bari said the election laws were strictly adhered to in India and candidates could not hold public meetings and rallies other than at specified places.
