Bilawal wants level playing field for all

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has demanded from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce the elections schedule and date saying the elections delayed are election denied. 

Addressing the ‘50th anniversary celebration of Pakistan’s Constitution’ hosted by the Supreme Court Bar Association on Monday, the PPP chairman urged the ECP to announce election schedule for free, fair and impartial election, where all contenders have a level playing field.

Bilawal hoped that there shall be no further delay in elections, given the events unfolded over the weekend. “Our aim was to reach a consensus on election dates not only for the provinces of Punjab and KP but also the general elections, unfortunately, the events of May 9 stymied these efforts,” lamented the PPP chairman.

“Our desire is that the ECP announces the election date and schedule on its own, while completing its legal and constitutional obligation instead of another institution giving it the instructions to do so,” he added.

Bilawal asserted that the 18th Amendment in 2010 had closed the doors for the judges to legitimize constitutional abrogation and barred them from taking oath under the PCO and they could no longer, at least in theory, uphold the subversion of the Constitution.

“Constitution is a sacred social contract between the state and the citizens on one hand and the glue that binds the federating units on the other,” the PPP chairman said.

He said the scope of the punishment for abrogating the Constitution under Article 6 also widened to include those who upheld the abrogation.

He expected that in interpreting the Constitution the judiciary would expand the powers of all democratic institutions, not merely its own, unlike the past practice.

“We value the independence of the judiciary and it is the cardinal principle of a democratic society. However, I sometimes feel that the independence of the judiciary has taken far too far to meaning its independence from the law and the Constitution itself, Bilawal added.

He said his party believes in the accountability of all under the same law by the same institutions, adding, “Independence of the judiciary should not mean its independence from accountability.”

Every prime minister has presented themselves before Supreme Court in one way or the other. One can then imagine that the honourable judges would be the first to present themselves for accountability before their own accountability institutions, the PPP chairman maintained.

He said the procedure for the appointment of judges also needs to be reviewed as the present procedure which under the President, PM, and the Parliament has become all but a rubber stamp and as post offices has raised the criticism of judiciary of the judges, by the judges and for the judges. “This does not augur well for the image of our judiciary,” he remarked.

Similarly, the contempt law must also be revisited as the dignity of the honourable judges must rest on foundations that are surer and more solid. Respect for judges must be inspired by their judgements and conduct and not by the fear of a contempt law, he said.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the commission on enforced disappearances has unfortunately failed miserably as not one perpetrator has been persecuted thus far and this is not acceptable.

“Another great challenge is the manipulation in elections and power transfer. Indeed, manipulated power transfer lies at the root of political instability and the election schedule must be announced immediately and a level playing field be ensured for all political parties,” he said.

He appreciated the role of the bar in upholding the law, rule of law, constitutionalism and human rights in Pakistan and said, “We appreciate that the bar has played this role regardless of the political inclinations of individual members of the bar and the office bearers of the bar association.”