For free and fair elections... By Col.(r) Nazir
22 June, 2012
The time for elections in Pakistan is drawing closer but the head of the Election Commission is yet to be selected from the panel of judges. Holding of elections is basically an elaborate administrative exercise demanding very high standard of administrative ability of the chairman of the Election Commission and his team. Appointment of a judge for this enormous administrative responsibility does not seem appropriate because judges during their careers are not exposed to the rigours of administrative experience at the scale this job demands. It will be more appropriate to put someone of the required administrative ability from the civil services instead of burdening the judiciary with a job for which they have no experience. Taking the example of India, which has a much larger population – and therefore conducting elections there is a more complex job – the most successful head of their election commission belonged to the police department. We must reconsider our choices to ensure fair elections essential for political stability and further progress of our nation as a democratic society. Col.(r) Nazir Ahmed
Islamabad
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