Face of Parliament unmasked over deletion of provisions relating to honesty: Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri

PAT Chairman Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that the honorable Lahore High Court unmasked the unconstitutional face of a Parliament that gave protection to the looters, thieves, defaulters and the people with criminal record. The court, he said, deserves congratulations on this count. He said that the people of Pakistan detected the conspiracy to amend the law dealing with the belief in the finality of the prophethood and it was Lahore High Court that took notice of the provisions that did away with the requirements of honesty and integrity in nomination forms of the candidates. He said that faith and accepted human values came under severe and repeated attacks during the government of the elite.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri stated this while talking to the senior leaders on telephone yesterday. He said that when this parliamentary terrorism was being committed, we had informed the nation of it and told that provisions of honesty and financial propriety were being deleted. He said that a parliament whose members are not required to undergo any moral, and economic scrutiny, how will they act upon democracy, equality, tolerance, principles of justice and Islamic teachings after being elected? He said that a robber is not expected to end exploitation, safeguard fundamental human rights and consider human life as sacrosanct.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri further stated that by deleting the provisions that require honesty, and truthfulness to be a member of parliament, the legislature not only legislated against the Constitution of Pakistan but also undermined Pakistan’s and Islamic ideology. He said that it is a disgusting feeling that the candidates have been given freedom to hide information regarding criminal track record, foreign assets, and the default on utility bills. He said that the record of even a convicted criminal is kept in view while putting him in the jail but the entry into parliament is possible over and above the law. He said that the so-called democratic system does not have the capacity to accept a competent and honest person.

The PAT Chairman said that this system has become so stinky that whether one attacks the law regarding the belief in the finality of prophethood or removes essential provisions from the nomination form that deal with honesty and integrity, he can indulge in such ventures with full freedom without the thought of being questioned for it. He said that the work that judiciary is doing today are the tasks and functions of parliament. He said that he was saying at the cost of repetition that merely change of faces will not change the system nor will it benefit the people and change its conditions. He said that establishment of a powerful and sovereign Election Commission is a constitutional prerequisite for fair and free elections but added in the same breath as to how an Election Commission can gift the people with fair, transparent and free elections that does not have the power to design nomination forms.