The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is preparing to make sure that tax-evaders do not contest the coming polls, and has obtained the services of the Electronic Credit Bureau of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). This was decided on Wednesday at a meeting in Islamabad attended by senior officials of the ECP, the SBP, the Federal Board of Revenue and the National Database and Registration Authority. It is interesting that these measures were agreed on the same day as the Supreme Court rejected Tehrik Minhajul Quran chief Tahirul Qadri’s plea asking for the reconstitution of the ECP. The mechanism will become operational after candidates file their nominations, and would trace the financial transactions of candidates in various accounts. This would involve the scrutiny of tax and wealth statements by candidates. For this, not only must adequate time be allowed, which requires legislation by Parliament, possibly even a constitutional amendment, but changes to the form filled by candidates. Those changes are to be formulated by the FBR, and indicate that while the statements have to be made, at present they are not used. The SBP also offered to disclose those who had loans written off.
There is a general belief that if the present government dose not pass the relevant legislation, a presidential ordinance could be as efficacious, in case the legislation needed was not done by the National Assembly in time. However, an ordinance promulgated now would expire. While it would govern the general election, it would probably not extend to the ensuing by-elections. It therefore is incumbent on the government to push through the necessary legislation, so that elections can be not just as fair as possible, but as close to the Constitution as possible.
The ECP has finally got the sort of backing it needed to do something that should have been done long before, and prevent the misuse of the status of elected legislators to cover up tax evasion, as well as not just obtaining bank loans, but getting them written off afterwards. This also requires all political parties to make sure that their candidate selection pays attention to the probity of candidates, not just their electability. For this, intending candidates must engage in a strict self-accountability, and stop using elections to validate their defaults.