President Musharraf introduced a law in 2002 which reshaped the qualifications for being eligible in the Parliament system of Pakistan. The law cited a bachelors degree as a requisite for being a citizen to be a member of the Parliament. Critics claimed that this law was legalized by President Musharraf so that many of the opposition leaders( who were of feudal background) could not run for office. This was also the same time that PPP and PML-N were both banned from running for office.
Eight years later, the Supreme Court has cracked down on an alleged 140 members of the Parliament for holding a "fake" degree. With the resignations of various Parliamentary members, one can't help but question the notion of whether the law is right in the first place.
The notion that only someone with a bachelor's degree or more is fit for being a representative of the government is extremely questionable in the first place, as history will show.
The First President of the United States, George Washington, did not have an educational background. Yet in his farewell address of 1796, Washington had the wisdom to say that " The United States must concentrate only on American interests, and while the country ought to be friendly and open its commerce to all nations, it should avoid becoming involved in foreign wars." ( Current U.S. government could use this right now)
Abraham Lincoln, who was the 13th President of the United States, legalized the 13th and 14th Amendment in the United States, which abolished slavery and guaranteed African Americans the right to due process and equal protection under the law. Abraham Lincoln was not educated with a "bachelors" degree either.
Even though the notion of having a bachelors degree to run for Parliament can be put under question, it still doesn't answer the notion of obtaining a fake degree in order to run for Parliament.
Is possessing a fake degree the answer to the law's flawed logic. Even if we remove its political relevance to the system, the concept of buying a degree is illegal in every sense of the word. Whether one is trying to get a medical license to start his/her own practice or wants to work at a business enterprise, the possessing of a degree which you did not work for is punishable by law and can essentially be described as "cheating" your way through the system.
So when Parliamentarians and their avid supporters lash out at the ridiculous nature of the law, they have every right to do so. However, it is the parliamentarians themselves who are to blame for their misfortunes. They chose to run for office when that law was put into place. Rather than fighting for the removal of that law from the legal frame work, they instead combated flawed logic with false degrees.
The excuse of obtaining a fake degree due to the strict nature of Musharraf's law is not understandable. In 2002, Musharraf did indeed have a strong threshold in the government. However, by 2008 Musharraf's reign was well within its path of ending. The Supreme Court Chief Justice was removed by a Military Dictator, yet through the power of the people and the opposition, he today stands as the Chief Justice of Pakistan while the Military Dictator delivers lectures to a half empty auditorium in Dallas, Texas. This Military Dictator was finally forced into resignation after repeated outcries by the people of Pakistan to put an end to dictatorship. Thus, the idea(excuse) that the implementation of the "degree" law could not possibly have been challenged is FALSE and does not serve testament to the strength of the people of Pakistan.
In February 2008, when the Parliamentary elections were being held, Pakistan should have seen the respected Parliamentarians and their supporters initiate movements proclaiming an end to the fake "degree" law that was imposed in 2002. Instead, these politicians decided to buy a fake degree and run for election, which honestly leads me to ponder whether these politicians should represent their people or not.
I just got news that the degree of PML-Q member of the National Assembly Nauman Langrial has been found to be fake (According to a source cited by the Daily Times). I'm sorry Mr. Langrial, but you are on your own this time. You had the power to stand down against flawed laws, but you chose instead to succumb to them. You are no better than that flawed law itself.
Fabulous work.
ReplyDeleteI would give pushback on the comparison with Lincoln and Washington, not because of geography but time and context. However, i agree with the larger point that if being a learned, well-read man was the hallmark of statesmanship in that time, they fulfilled it. What is the criteria for statesmanship for Pakistanis, that is the real question? Degree alone doesn't make a difference. For BB went to Harvard + Oxford, Imran Khan too. Are those with college degrees in Pk much diff than those without? A focus on BA is misplaced.
Given the pack of people we are, and running the system in a parody of democracy, there is no harm if the requirement stays. These are not local bodies that represent people to get their day to day problems taken care of [ although a little education won't hurt there as well]. These are legislative assemblies, that are supposed to debate about and improve upon the laws of the country. Have you seen the clip of a fake degree-holder shouting in the assembly against the three 'J's, responsible for messing up the country----" 'Jurnals', Judiciary and Journalists".
ReplyDeleteThese memberships have become lucrative since Gen. Zia introduced a political bribe called 'Development Funds', given to the legislators instead of empowering the Local Bodies.