LAHORE: The election of a dacoit on the PML-N ticket spotlights flaw in the scrutiny system both on the political and election commission side.

Taking a prompt notice and rising to the occasion to rectify the error, the Election Commission has suspended election of Tahir Naveed and the PML-N dismembered him in party and begun inquiry into the fact how a dacoit and mobile sets snatcher made his way to the party. On the direction of the Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif an exercise to screen out such other elements in the elected lots of the party men in the Local governments election has been launched.

Tahir Naveed voted in the General Councillor seat from UC-124 ward 6 of the City securing 328 votes. He was booked by PS Factory Area on the charges of looting on gun point Rs15lakh besides enjoying the spree of mobile sets snatching that has become a favourite pastime of every ordinary criminal in the country. The seat he secured may not be much important but the process he managed to pass through successfully is significant to bring us home the fact how the criminal minded have become adept to circumvent law and the claimed water tight scrutiny of the candidate at the level of the PML-N.

It is also surprising that no objection was raised at the time his nomination papers were being looked into by the EC. The Commission in this episode is much less guilty than the political side as it indulges into only that material that is produced against a candidate before it although it has power to learn about the candidates from its own sources as well. However if this UC level shortcoming by a major political party is measured at the provincial level where thousands of candidates aspire for the ticket, a doubt strikes the mind that some others may also be of the same dubious character who managed to take political shelter through deceit.

In order to judge credentials and abilities of the candidates, the PML-N had set up three-tier system from office bearers at the local level to the legislators at the head of the central command. Not that but the party had also set a yardstick to see the candidates fitting in that. Despite this foolproof and robust mechanism a person wanted by police in dacoity case sneaked in the party ranks is surprising. The good aspect of the matter is the party took immediate action.

On contact, City President, PML-N, Muhammad Pervez Malik felt sorry for it and explained that Tahir in fact originally belonged to the PTI and he was awarded party ticket when murder to two candidates forced him to come to our side and we acknowledged him after a Masjid Committee gave us in black white about sound character and uprightness of this person. To a question, he said, Tahir is the exclusive case and no other of this type has been detected in the elected LB lots of the party.