Khursheed Shah asks election commission officials to 'go home'
51
ISLAMABAD: Leader of Opposition in National Assembly and Pakistan Peoples Party stalwart Khursheed Shah on Tuesday reciprocated Imran Khan’s demand that officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) tender their resignations in light of the findings of the Judicial Commission report.
Earlier on Saturday, giving his official reaction to the report of the three-judge commission released on Thursday, Imran Khan had also called for resignation of members of the Election Commission of Pakistan.
“The report has highlighted shortcomings and failure of the ECP to hold the elections in a transparent manner,” Khan had said, adding that the ECP officials who had conducted the polls had no moral ground to stay in their offices.
Read: Imran accepts poll inquiry report with reservations.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday, Khursheed Shah said the poll-inquiry commission had cast serious doubts on the ECP’s performance following which “its members should resign on their own.”
Shah criticised ECP members saying they were getting salaries “as high as Rs. 800,000 per month which would be difficult to give up” but the institution’s performance had not been up to the mark.
The poll-inquiry commission tasked to inquire the 2013 general election released its report on Thursday, in which it said that the elections were in “large part conducted in accordance with law,” but there were serious “lapses” and “shortcomings” on part of the ECP.
Take a look: JC finds 2013 elections 'fair and in accordance with law'.
“ECP officials should have packed their bags and gone home after the JC report,” Shah said.
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (51) Closed
Jul 28, 2015 06:42pm
Quite right.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 06:46pm
So what else is properly functioning? Nothing...you go to any government office, you feel like throwing up
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 06:47pm
Dabba govt. and Dabba opposition...complete misfortune for Pakistan.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 06:50pm
A kangaroo inquiry commission. The report was written (at Jati umarah) way before inquiry started
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 06:51pm
If every person in Pakistan that didn't do a good job resigned, there would actually be very few people working at all. And certainly there would be nobody in the National Assembly, The Senate, Provincial Assemblies etc.
Problem in Pakistan is that nobody is willing to accept responsibility.
Each time a politician does something wrong, he never resigns. Best you get from him/her is that they are humans and will make mistakes.
Furthermore, individuals on this forum, depending on their political allegiances, keep posting comments like "to err is human, to forgive divine".
Once Pakistani society accepts responsibility (instead of blaming consipracies), only then can we see individuals doing the honourable thing and resign.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 06:56pm
See now all the corrupts going in same boat and singing in chorus.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 07:16pm
Politics, PPP trying hard to get some salvage in Pubjab.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 07:23pm
Yes, but Mr. Khursheed Shah, Sindh govt on the whole should pack up and go home.What is functioning right in Sindh?
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 07:23pm
PPP appointed members !
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 07:29pm
Khurshid Shah is saying all that now (which happens to be right), but what part did he play when dharna was going on?
He sided with Nawaz and ECP to fail dharna, and save his job and his party members' jobs.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 07:29pm
In fact, they should return back their fat salaries for sheer negligence and not performing their duties honestly.There should be an inquiry regarding this act.Waste of taxpayers' money.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 07:32pm
Accountability, accountability and accountability....a cry from deep within.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 07:48pm
I think in his life, this is first time in his life he made a sensible comments, why not he also resigned from national assembly for not performing his role as opposition leader
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 07:54pm
@Tanweer Khan,here is another way to look at it,could it be that our governments and the people we elect are a true reflection of who "WE THE PEOPLE"really are???? We keep electing these people and than we complain everyday while they are in the office.So we need to stop blaming the politicians and start taking responsibility for our own choices.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 07:56pm
My hunble assessment to this whole situation is that PTI played wrong hand in asking for system wrap up, resignation of PM etc. PTI should immediately accepted COAS offer in August. Their handlers made them look like sitting ducks now. The corrupt mafia in assembly is exploiting this wrong decision. They were correct in asking to constitue JC. Everybody in Pakistan knows that 2013 elections were not fair, they were not, however, organised rigged as PTI thought.
I don't know why I am saying this, but Khursheed Shah has played good role as opposition leader. He sided with the system during dharna, and now providing face saving to PTI.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 07:56pm
If these words were spoken at the time of Dharna, by this man, there would had been no Nawaz.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 07:57pm
Kh Shah if not mistaken,, during dhanrnas you and Aitzaz Ahsan were very vocal to save the 'democracy' and helped limping, crawling, one eyed govt to keep your accounts breathing. now what prompted you to say ECP officers should go home, after JC report.
you are pretending as if PPP does not knew about corruption / rigging in 2013 elections. this is what IK and all other parties including your's cried about rigged elections and yet you sided by the govt to save this democracy. forget about a common man, if 3rd largest party of the country could not get justice .... what are you doing as opposition in NA ?. resign in protest over this JC and for failure on part of ECP to conduct fair elections. you own leader is under scanner and heckling neighboring states... will you ?. can you do this.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 08:00pm
For incompetence? How about your good self and everyone who was part of the PPP Government except for maybe Raza Rabbani
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 08:03pm
Resignation is not a solution. We always forget the real issue. All political parties should work on election reforms.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 08:04pm
But, they still did what is a ground reality today. Fakhru Bhai really did a wonder. A solid slap on the face of those who thought him a gone case.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 08:10pm
If any PPP leader wants to maintain any credibility, they have to distance themselves from Zardar and 'Friendly Opposition' tag.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 08:10pm
ECP members getting salaries “as high as Rs. 800,000 per month" !
A grade 22 officer ( the highest in civil service) gets a basic (starting) salary of Rs. 55,000/= per month only!
It looks a sort of bribe to pay such an amount for the type of work they do !
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 08:15pm
That is a blow to this government and their stance on being vindicated by the JC.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 08:17pm
Tragedy of system is that no one takes reposibility. Corrupts donot want to be expoxed. The election commission should take reposibility and resign. Independent election comission should set free of all influencing factors
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 08:32pm
Demanding resignations or firing officials for incompetence is not a solution. Everyone does this so often on a regular basis at their job that we find it hard to recognize. Otherwise, you can pin down the same elsewhere.........such as PCB for not delivering results, Wapda and Pepco for not able to recuperate losses, Police for their misconducts every now and then, PIA for their inefficiencies and continuous losses and so on...........what's really needed is some sort of organizational restructuring and forceful policy implementation.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 08:38pm
It is elite vs ordinary. How I wish a street walker, rickshaw puller, taxi driver, peasant farmer, a low rank soldier with passion for Pakistan gets into power and appoints youngsters to all senior positions in government, bring in strict anti corruption law, appoints judges who deliver judgments within a specified time-frame (say 6 months). Pakistan has two classes, ruled and perpetually ruling.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 08:43pm
When legal ways to get justice are blocked, people have no other way but to go all out take the rights!
Looks like state has been hijacked by mafia and they control everything.
Imran and PTI learnt the hardway! Sheikh Rasheed was right!
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 08:44pm
Its strange from Khusheed Shah, ECP didnt conduct the fair elections - they should go! but resultant government of these elections should stay???
twisted logic!
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 08:50pm
This 'culture of corruption' has seaped through almost all segments of the society. Key reason is 'muk-muka' policy, there is no real opposition anymore, only lip service 7 covering each others corruption. Low IQ people will still be singing songs to two family run political parties (businesses), and it'll continue to be business as usual. They will not allow any democratic elections within political parties, on groom next 'next prince' to take over partiy leaderships. That is democracy, pakistani style.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 09:03pm
Is K Shah really serious or just playing another political game. Every body knows that EC is part of the Government and they will never pack up and go home. They only way to bring changes in Pakistan is through street power and not with statements
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 09:25pm
The "irregularities" at a national level event with international repercussions are never graded. This is a reflection on the integrity of the individuals which either you have or you don't. You can't say so and so as a degree of integrity.If PM has any integrity he should resign first followed by this irregulities ridden Election Commission.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 09:42pm
Personal integrity , honour are prerequisites for man when he is challenged. both missing not only with our political leadership but also with our officials. They will never resign.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 09:52pm
If that's the salary, I also want a job in the Election Commission. Who should I send my resume to? :)
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 10:15pm
I fully agree with Shah, but I also have a question from the parliamentarians that what they are doing? I recommend that they should go home too.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 10:37pm
@MAlvi
Excellent point
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 10:42pm
Khursheed Shah - Very important to me, my son is waiting for his NADRA smart id card for the last 8 months, please ask the NADRA 's chairman and other staff to resign?
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 10:45pm
oh people of Pakistan why do you blame others. . . Shah is bad, NS is bad, Imran Khan is bad, this is bad, that is bad . . . when will we realize that we are bad. A kilo is less than a Kilo, Medicines are expired, Teachers give tuition, doctors give medicine for commission., Mulvi wants donations, each and everyone of us is full of greed and corruption and the final result is this. I wholeheartedly support this government at least they are trying - what is missing is political activism. People like you and me need to stop cursing and crying and need to a do dharna for results. Not music, or DJ but dance festival, serious Dharna for a issue . . . we need Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Arundutiya Roy of Pakistan - people who struggle for a change and not power.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 11:10pm
We the people ask PML government and opposition leaders to pack up their bags and leave.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 11:24pm
Dear Mr. Shah all of you fix your self then everything will be normal making statement mean nothing. we are in trouble because all of politician busy filling own pocket so other have to follow you guys as well.
lets get sincere
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 11:24pm
Stupidity!!!. Use brain use assembly power to do the reforms. Don't be like IK.
Recommend
0
Jul 28, 2015 11:30pm
Let the corrupt ECP work because really many people are corrupt too.
Things will surely improve a little by next elections.
Please look at other countries, including of course my own country, Canada. There is corruption here also but of course it is not that rampant as in Pakistan.
Be patient!!
Recommend
0
Jul 29, 2015 01:05am
There are far too many "public servants" in India and Pakistan who do very little. They want the biggest paychecks for the least amount of work. Seniority means senility.
Recommend
0
Jul 29, 2015 01:23am
@Ahmed You forgot Anna Hazare of India, who fought (and is still fighting) against corruption and who literally stopped the country for a day and whole country supported him.
Recommend
0
Jul 29, 2015 01:25am
All members of election commission were selected after consultation with all opposition parties including PPP and PTI so why now they have to resign because PPP and PTI did not get enough seats. What a joke from both parties. Mr. Khursheed Shah should resign because he is failed as opposition leader and only support ppp in Assembly. As IK was not able to get enough votes so he is crying unfair elections. Same election commission conducted elections in KPK and he called them fair.
Recommend
0
Jul 29, 2015 01:46am
Inherently it's the system that's at fault. No accountability whatsoever. In a system like this any politician (not just of Pakistan origin) will take the shortcut. A system like ours forces people to be correct in order to make ends meet. It is pitiful. Fix the system and everything will fall in place.
Recommend
0
Jul 29, 2015 03:15am
Shah is right. The election is over and was less than perfect just like all the departments of Pakistan. In an imperfect country how could anything be totally perfect? However after the JC report grudgingly accepted by all parties it is time to get a new EC. Time for a new EC for future and away from the past.
Shah has always maintained that the elections were not perfect and ANP and PPP were not even allowed to campaign in whole of KPK. Yet they went Jinnah and Gandhi’s way of nonviolence. They did not like the results but PPP and ANP never agitated after their loss in their entire history. Now the dust has settled let us move on with the new setup.
Recommend
0
Jul 29, 2015 03:30am
Mr Shah how about PPP's incompetent sindh government pack up their bags and go home? ?? that'll be public service.
Recommend
0
Jul 29, 2015 03:36am
@Iqbal Malik You asked what they are doing? May be collecting salaries, or may be busy planning for more money, more money, more money?
Recommend
0
Jul 29, 2015 05:33am
As leader of opposition Khursheed Shah has miserably failed. He needs to go as well. What about the great Qaim Ali Shah led government in Sindh? They need to go too. Governments in center, Punjab, Balochistan and KP are not perfect but Sindh needs to get rid of PPP.
Recommend
0
Jul 29, 2015 05:53am
Election commission of Pakistan along with federal government as well as provisional government must go together. Mr. Khursheed Shah you stop playing double game, if you are honest person you must resign first. Pakistan political system is garbage nothing else.
Recommend
0
Jul 29, 2015 07:02am
They should have packed and left after the report ! Sir ! If it was like that then :
SS should have resigned after model town massacre.
Their law minister should have resigned after he got caught taking bribe on video
And above all NS should have resigned when everybody / all parties acknowledged the rigging
Railway minister should have resigned after the vote recount rather than hiding behind the stay order
The problem is that you all are in kahuts.
Recommend
0
