Yesterday, Wednesday 7th March, 2012 Pakistan Observer reports under, ‘ECP declares PML-N MPA degree as fake’. To me this is not just a news as many may think but not only a slap on the face of our those so called ‘people representatives’ in whom innocent voters had placed blind confidence believing that they would do their best for the betterment of those who voted for them but it also gives birth to many questions and problems discussed hereinafter.
The newspaper mentions the name of two MPAs namely Zulfiqar Ali from Bahawalpur and Rao Mazhar from Kasur who luckily or unluckily belong to PML (N). The news further says that the concerned authorities have been asked to initiate court cases against both of them for submitting fake degrees to Election Commission of Pakistan which are very much commendable but this is too late to be honest. Moreover, they are not the only ones who have been proved to have possessed fake degrees but regretfully such like cases have been read by earlier too though I am unable to quote their names but yet I am as sure as death that we do have such precedents with us. What amazes me the most is that as to how and why someone even thinks of committing such a serious crime? It is absolutely not even imaginable that none but a contestant of an assembly will be submitting his fake educational certificates. The more I think, the more perplexed I am and simply cannot figure out as to what could be the rationale, if any, to do alike. However, the worst part is that as and when 1st case of fake degree was reported then the others who very well knew that they too have submitted fake degrees should at their own have themselves voluntarily declared and informed ECP that their degrees too are fake rather than waiting for such like humiliation in the public? Cheat is a cheat but if the cheater himself declares that he has done so and so then the concerned authorities may take some lenient view towards him but in case where it is not voluntary but detection officially then the defaulter should be awarded maximum punishment without any leniency whatsoever.
How the two gentlemen Sikander and Rao feel now, can be quite an interesting question to be asked? I am pretty confident that from yesterday they will not be coming in public as openly as they were doing till a day before yesterday. Their pride is gone with the wind. They must be avoiding the voters of their constituencies in particular and the rest of the people in general. Why did they do alike? I have neither seen nor have any capacity and authority to see as to what forms they have filled up when they submitted their candidature and applied to contest the election but yet to the best of my knowledge and belief there must be some sort of an affidavit or a declaration as the case may be on their part saying that whatever information and documents they have submitted are true to the best of their knowledge and belief. No denying the fact that they did know what degrees they have, from where they got and how they got but yet they did dare to submit the same degrees portraying as if those were truly genuinely issued and not fake at all. Then once they were elected they had to take an oath affirming that they will be straight and truthful both in their actions and words but alas they proved otherwise. Didn’t they lie at least twice if not more? Is telling lies a qualification and point of prestige for them instead of feeling ashamed?
Had sky fallen apart if they had not been PMAs? Were they starving before being elevated as MPAs? Why did they resort to such gross misconduct? How many laurels did they earn, if any, now when PEC publicly announced that their degrees are declared as fake? Now once the degree are confirmed to be fake then in the given situation PEC has no alternative but to issue an official gazette notifications cancelling their assembly membership and their seats to be declared as vacant resultantly new dates will be announced to hold bye elections to fill up their vacant slots. PEC is to announce as to by which date those interested to contest can apply. Then it is to announce as to what could be the date when the elections will be heard. Isn’t it an extra burden on the part of ECP to conduct fresh election to fill up the gaps so created by Sikander and Rao?
Aspiring candidates shall have to spend huge money which has no reference to the term a candidate may serve and from that point of view it is really very much pathetic that the one who contests in bye election spends almost the same amount what had been spent by those who contested the election on the 1st day whereby they are elected as MPA for 5 years term and not just one year. Therefore, it is very much obvious that those who contest in bye election and win are still the losers in the strictest sense simply because they will be MPAs for the remaining period of the assembly which is roughly a year whereas his other MPA colleagues are enjoying for last four years and will continue for subsequent one year too. As regards, the voters I really feel awfully sorry for them who will be subjected to again to squeeze some time from their busy schedule to vote for the contestants. The voters are now very much confused and punctuated with doubts as to what to do next and whom to believe when casting vote in bye election and it is next to impossible for them to verify each and every statement of the contestants of the bye election. They face a dilemma as to how to know what true or false statements were issued by Sikander and Rao. However as an honest person I can say quite judiciously and categorically without any fear, favor or enmity which presumably is very true that both of them had neither spoken whole truth nor whole false but somewhere in between.
May I suggest, to solve the riddle provided neither anyone shows gun to me nor someone hurls stone at me, that after experiencing as to what happened with Sikander and Rao, Election Commission of Pakistan should issue a public notice posted on its web site and also through media including TV, radio, newspapers and magazines saying that now it is mandatory that all those who wish to contest in next elections of 2013, shall have to submit their education credentials by June, 2012 or whatever could be the reasonable time deemed fit so that ECP gets enough time to get them confirmed in advance. The notice must also say that anybody who does not submit their academic credentials will not be allowed to contest and likewise those whose educational certificates are not verified by their issuing authorities shall be debarred to contest the election. This practice if adopted will eliminate the chances of disqualifying someone after being elected as it has happened with Sikander and Rao. This will also not defame anyone once he / she have been elected and our honorable members of the assemblies whether provincial or national cannot be unseated at least on account of fake educational degrees. The voters will be too happy not to vote for anyone whose degree could be doubtful. All the contestants will have a clean slate so far as their education is concerned and in turn their voters too will know for sure that that their favorites are not only educated but also posses genuine degrees.
Who amongst our power corridor opposes me not to get degrees certified before filing candidature, may I dare ask? Isn’t it a prudent and viable proposition not to take fake degrees as we do now? Who opposes me when I say, 'Fake-better not take, I suggest'?
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Iqbal Hadi Zaidi, Kuwait,