Four PML-N ladies found involved

LAHORE - After the fake degrees scandal involving five women MPAs of PML-N, there is yet another scam in the offing, this time relating to four women MNAs of the same party, who have been found lacking the very basic qualification for membership of the Parliament. Official documents available with The Nation have revealed that four PML-N MNAs, Sabeen Rizvi, Tasneem Siddiqui, Nuzhat Sadiq and Shireen Arshad, elected on reserved seats after 2008 general elections, dont have the basic qualification of the seat. They are not enrolled as voter in any area of the Punjab province as required under the law, though their degrees seem to be genuine and also fulfill other criterion. All these ladies are registered as voters in Islamabad, whereas they have been given membership of the National Assembly on women seats reserved for Punjab. According to the electoral list available with The Nation, the name of Sabeen Rizvi is registered as voter in Book No: 514 from Islamabad. The names of Tasneem Siddiqui, Nuzhat Sadiq and Shireen Arsghad are also registered in Islamabad in Book Numbers-515, 152 and 515 respectively. It may be noted there is no quota of reserved seats for women belonging to the capital territory except two general seats in the National Assembly. According to the relevant rules, a women seeking membership of either the lower house or any provincial assembly, must be registered as voter in that province. The rule 8D of The Conduct of General Elections Order, 2002, which deals with qualifications and disqualifications of members of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) and provincial assemblies reads as under: (1) In addition to the educational qualification specified in Article 8A, a person shall not be qualified to be elected or chosen as a member of a House of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) or Provincial Assembly unless: (a) he is a citizen of Pakistan; (b) he is, in the case of National Assembly, not less than twenty-five years and is enrolled as a voter in:(i) any electoral roll for election to a general seat; or a seat reserved for non-Muslims; and (ii) any area in a Province from where he seeks membership for election to a seat reserved for women. As is evident from these rules, which are available on Election Commissions website also, the condition of enrollment for election to a general seat or a seat reserved for non-Muslims, and the one in respect of seat reserved for women is quite different. In case of the former, the candidate may be registered as voter in any part of Pakistan, whereas in case of the latter, (reserved seats for women either in any provincial assembly or National Assembly), she should be enrolled as voter in that particular province from which she seeks membership of the either assembly. In case of these four ladies, first the PML-N leadership overlooked this aspect of qualification and then the Election Commission of Pakistan which also shut its eyes from this irregularity. As per rules, the seats reserved for women are filled on the basis of proportional representation. Political parties send a list of their prospective lady legislators to the Election Commission of Pakistan which, in turn, determines the number of seats for each party according a pre-determined formula on the basis of number of seats a party has won in a provincial assembly and the National Assembly. It is relevant to note here that qualification of five MPAs of PML-N-Raheela Khadim Hussain, Saima Mohyyudin, Mahmooda Sahi, Farah Deeba and Shagufta Sheikh has already been challenged in the court. Fake degree cases of some other legislators belonging to different parties have also come to surface. Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan was not available for his version when this scribe contacted him on his office number. The PML-N spokesperson, Senator Pervaiz Rashid also did not respond to a call made on his cell phone. All attempts at contacting the ladies in question also did not yield any result. An Assistant Election Commissioner, Abdul Waheed, posted in the office of provincial election commission in Lahore admitted that if the ladies were enrolled as voter in Islamabad, then it was certainly an irregularity, but insisted that election commission could take action only if the matter is brought to commissions notice by the aggrieved party.