Constituion of Pakistan and Minimum Age

[MastanKhan]

Gentlemen and ladies,

Just to let you know that we may have a constitutional issue over here. The minimum age of an individual to hold office of a political party is 25. If a person cannot be elected to hold the office of parliament---he cannot be elected to serve as an office bearer of a political party.

Just another blow to theconstitution.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

Gentlemen and ladies,

Just to let you know that we may have a constitutional issue over here. The minimum age of an individual to hold office of a political party is 25. If a person cannot be elected to hold the office of parliament---he cannot be elected to serve as an office bearer of a political party.

Just another blow to theconstitution.

Just want a clarification.

A political party is an independent body and so its own constitution should be valid.

So long as they don't put up candidates below the age specified in the country's Constitution, one wonders if it would violate the law.

 

[MastanKhan]

Hi Salim,

It is not as simple as that. You cn be a member of a party if you can vote---but to hold office maybe something else.

Today's dawn newspaper.

Why Bilawal cannot head the PPP




By Mohammad Shehzad


THE Pakistan People’s Party’s decision to nominate Benazir Bhutto’s son, Bilawal Zardari, as its new chairman may have ended the speculation over the slain leader’s successor. But the party is on course for a confrontation with the country’s Constitution.

According to the Political Parties Order 2002 and the Constitution of Pakistan, Bilawal is ineligible to hold any office in any political party. He is just 19 years old. He needs to be at least 25 to be an eligible candidate.

The Political Parties Order 2002 says: “Every citizen, not being in the service of Pakistan, shall have the right to form or be a member of a political party or be otherwise associated with a political party or take part in political activities or be elected as an office-bearer of a political party: Provided that a person shall not be appointed or serve as an office-bearer of a political party if he is not qualified to be, or is disqualified from being, elected or chosen as a member of the Majlis-i-Shoora (Parliament) under Article 63 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan or under any other law for the time being in force.”

According to the Constitution, one must be at least 25 years old to become a member of parliament. Thus, Bilawal is ineligible to be the PPP’s chairman.

What appears to be a big blunder could possibly be a deliberate move to counter advances by others to stake claim to the party leadership. Fatima Bhutto, the daughter of Murtaza Bhutto and the niece of Benazir, is 25. Her mother Ghinwa Bhutto is the head of a breakaway faction of the PPP, the Pakistan People’s Party (Shaheed Bhutto).

The PPP leadership is aware of the importance of the ‘Bhutto factor’ in the party’s success in the forthcoming elections. It must have felt that only a ‘Bhutto’ can keep the party intact. It was also intended to resolve the dilemma of deciding which of the three breakaway factions of the PPP — the PPP, PPP (Shaheed Bhutto) and PPP (Sherpao) — can lay claim to legitimacy.

Asif Ali Zardari, who was said to have been nominated as the chairman by Ms Bhutto in her will, quite tactfully accepted his wife’s decision, and then cleverly passed on the baton to his son Bilawal. He was renamed Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. It is realised that a non-Bhutto name will not survive long and Zardari could not have been able to keep the party united. He may be accepted as the party’s leader for the time being by the senior leadership; however, when the grief over Benazir’s death subsides, it will be difficult for him to remain in full control.

Zardari is now the co-chairman of the party. In this capacity he will be the person at the helm and take all decisions. Bilawal’s chairpersonship will be at best symbolic.

Zardari proved his political astuteness when Benazir was prime minister twice. He had the ability to influence his wife’s political decisions. He has done the same after her death.

The succession episode clearly proves that politics in Pakistan is not a discipline. Political parties are not an institution. No qualifications and experience are required to be a politician. Other disciplines are far more professional. If you have to hire a butler, you would look for a number of qualities in the prospective candidate. But in politics, nothing is a prerequisite.

But does it matter that politics should be a discipline, political parties should be institutions? The fate of the people of Pakistan is not in their hands. The political parties may win elections and form governments but they never represent the wishes of the people.

They might want to change the lot of the people but they are held hostage by the dictatorial forces like the military establishment, jihadis and clerics. The best example is of the judiciary. For the first time in Pakistan’s history, the judiciary under Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry had started operating in an independent manner. It was not tolerated by the then in-uniform president who sacked the former under the cover of emergency on November 3.

So it really does not matter who heads the PPP — Bilawal, Zardari or any X, Y, Z. Pakistan will continue to be run by the three As — Allah, Army and America.

[email protected]

 

[roadrunner]

Good find..but you have to remember this is Pakistan, with it's 40% illiterate population that have no means of knowing what the Constitution says, and even more people without access to a copy of the Constitution. If the Order is implemented as it should be, PPP or Zardari will make a big fuss that his party is being dictated to by a dictator, and around 50% of the population might even believe him. Education is indeed a big menace to Pakistan, and such corrupt opportunists as Zardari intend to make as much hay as possible from it.

The Constitution was clear that Musharraf was able to suspend judges and refer them to the SCJ. This was his Constitutional right and obligation if he only suspected the CJ of foul play. And look what happened, all the political parties clubbing together to try and bully Musharraf and score some political points. Sometimes not implementing the Constitution can save a lot of trouble, and I think Musharraf might be trying out this balancing act, since he will defeat any party headed by Zaradari fair and square. He knows this much, since PPP under him will be even less popular than before.

 

[Proud to be Pakistani]

Good find..but you have to remember this is Pakistan, with it's 40% illiterate population that have no means of knowing what the Constitution says, and even more people without access to a copy of the Constitution. If the Order is implemented as it should be, PPP or Zardari will make a big fuss that his party is being dictated to by a dictator, and around 50% of the population might even believe him. Education is indeed a big menace to Pakistan, and such corrupt opportunists as Zardari intend to make as much hay as possible from it.

The Constitution was clear that Musharraf was able to suspend judges and refer them to the SCJ. This was his Constitutional right and obligation if he only suspected the CJ of foul play. And look what happened, all the political parties clubbing together to try and bully Musharraf and score some political points. Sometimes not implementing the Constitution can save a lot of trouble, and I think Musharraf might be trying out this balancing act, since he will defeat any party headed by Zaradari fair and square. He knows this much, since PPP under him will be even less popular than before.

I agree....

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

Mastan,

Thanks.

Very comprehensive and puts it beyond doubt.

 

[MastanKhan]

Salim,

There is a lot of sh-t that is going to fly pretty soon---the stuff is slowly coming out of the wood works---I wish if Musharraf could have delayed the elections by 60 to 90 days--we for sure would have seen some fireworks in the making in the ppp.

Some, in the news media are not going to hold back---because it will ultimately challenge their integrity for bringing out the truth. Some of them will be mad at being misled---and those are the ones who will do more damage to the ppp. So, enjoy the read.

a blog that was on the cnn a couple of days ago






‘Mischief, thou art afoot’ in Pakistan
Posted: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 12:19 PM
Filed Under: Islamabad, Pakistan
By Carol Grisanti, NBC News Producer
It was just three days after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto that her husband, Asif Ali Zardari announced that Bhutto, in her last will and testament, had appointed him to lead her party, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
At least that is Zardari's version of Bhutto's last wishes.
Zardari then added, contrary to his late wife's wishes, he wanted to pass her mantle on to their oldest son, 19-year-old, Bilawal Zardari. In keeping with the burden of blood and dynasty, the younger Zardari quickly added his grandfather's name, calling himself Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. His grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founded the Pakistan People’s Party. The name change was symbolic. Bilawal was now a Bhutto; he had asserted his birthright to lead the party.
The elder Zardari would manage the party for his son until he finishes university; in effect he would become "prince regent." He would be the kingmaker.
He also said that Bhutto’s will would not be made public.
My immediate reaction upon listening to the Zardari was, Why not make Bhutto's will public?
I asked around and many Pakistanis felt the same as I did. Some doubt there even was a will.
Shakespearean echoes
It brought to mind scenes from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar."
"We will hear the will: read it Mark Anthony," cried one citizen of Rome.
"The will, the will! We will hear Caesar's will." The voices of the crowd rose in unison.
"Have patience gentle friends, I must not read it; It is not meet you know how Caesar loved you... It will inflame you, it will make you mad," Mark Anthony cried back.
No one ever knew what was in Caesar's will.
A noted Pakistani columnist confided to me that he had spoken with three people very close to Bhutto. "They had substantial knowledge of her intentions and all say that Benazir had no intention of leaving the party to her husband," he said, on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.
The announcement by Bhutto's husband that their son would become titular head of the party, even though he has no political experience, still needs to finish his degree at Britain's Oxford University, and has spent most of his life outside of Pakistan, was an astute and clever move. In a few years, Bhutto-Zardari will become chairperson for life of Pakistan's largest political party, by rite of name and blood, just like his mother.
But the fact that until that time comes, Bhutto's husband controls the party may be so controversial that the party may split apart.
‘Mr. Ten Percent’
Zardari is tremendously unpopular, even loathed, by many in the party and outside of it. He is known as "Mr. Ten Percent" for the alleged kickbacks he received on government contracts while his wife was in power. Along with Bhutto, he faced corruption charges in Pakistan, Switzerland, Spain and England for plundering the country, allegedly to the tune of $1.5 billion.
Party stalwarts blame Zardari for Bhutto’s political "fall." She had to leave the country and go into self-imposed exile for eight years or else face criminal charges on corruption. Bhutto and Zardari have always denied the charges – insisting they were politically motivated.
The corruption charges were recently dropped in a U.S.-brokered amnesty with Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf. It allowed Bhutto to return home in October of last year to lead her party in parliamentary elections which were originally scheduled for Jan. 8, but which have been delayed until Feb. 18 because of unrest following her assassination.
And that's not all. A large number of Pakistanis believe that Zardari was behind and organized the murder of Bhutto’s brother, Murtaza, who was killed under mysterious circumstances on Sept. 20, 1996. The case is still pending in the Pakistani courts.
Benazir refused to allow her older brother, Murtaza, to challenge her for control of the party. According to author and renowned South Asia expert, William Dalrymple, "When [Murtaza] persisted in doing so, he ended up shot dead in highly suspicious circumstances outside the family home. Murtaza's wife Ghinwa and his daughter, Fatima, as well as Benazir's mother, all firmly believe that Benazir gave the order to have him killed."
Bloodline politics
Politics in South Asia is dynastic, feudal, tribal and violent. One is either born to rule or one is not. Political parties are family properties.
"I wish it were otherwise," said Talat Masood, a security analyst. "It's a vote-catching factor to keep it in the family. The dynastic effect in South Asia is too critical, otherwise the party may split."
Zardari's supporters say he is a pragmatic politician. He knows that he has to reach out to the party's heavyweights or else the party will fracture and fall apart. He knows he needs his son to carry the Bhutto name and legacy.
Most Pakistanis agree that it will be difficult for Zardari to hold the party together. The Bhutto family feuds have resurfaced. Arguments over name and succession have begun. Some Bhutto family members insist that the name and birthright passes through the father and that Bhutto's son is a Zardari not a Bhutto.
The senior leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party are eager to dispel any rumors of jostling for power and position. But signals coming out of the party's top rank and file suggest all may not be well.
And now that he has returned to Pakistan, Zardari will have to appear before the courts. He is still charged with the murder of Bhutto's brother, Murtaza.
I thumbed thru Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" again.
Another quote from Mark Anthony caught my eye: "Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot. Take thou what course thou wilt!"

 

[MastanKhan]

Guys,


Here is some more stuff coming out---seemingly Sanam Bhutto wants reconcilliation between the Zardaris and Bhuttos---she is proposing marriage between 26 years old Ftima Bhutto and 19 years old Bilawal---how are sick are these people---to what extent would they go to be in power ( that was just rhetoric--they would sell their souls 10 times over to the enemy to be in power )-----so here is the article if you guys had not read it---



Bhutto's killing stokes reconciliation By BURT HERMAN, Associated Press Writers
Fri Jan 4, 2:20 PM ET



KARACHI, Pakistan - As the House of Bhutto copes with its latest violent death, hope is growing that Benazir Bhutto's killing could help mend old strains in Pakistan's virtual royal family as it seeks to extend its political dynasty and lead the country away from military rule.

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Even talk of a royal wedding of sorts has been raised to reconcile rival branches of the family, which have been at odds since the 1996 fatal shooting of Benazir's brother Murtaza in Karachi while she was prime minister.

Although Bhutto was praised for her ability to touch people across regional and cultural boundaries as a populist leader, she faced some of her toughest criticism from within her own family. Some relatives were quick to publicly raise her shortcomings, such as the accusations of corruption that twice forced her from office.

She was remembered by some family members as a kind person who never forgot to send presents on a birthday no matter where she was, and who invited them to dinner whether or not she had time to talk. But other relatives maintain Bhutto was an opportunist and that her heirs are now seeking to reap undeserved benefit from a family name revered for its association with her father, executed politician Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

It is just another aspect of the complicated nature of Benazir Bhutto's personality — praised as a Pakistani icon in her trademark white headscarf, but also criticized for her imperious nature.

Fatima Bhutto, the daughter of Benazir's late brother Murtaza, is a poet and politician who became a harsh critic of her aunt. But after her death, Fatima issued a public call for calm in the family.

"I never agreed with her politics. I never did. I never agreed with those she kept around her, the political opportunists, hangers-on, them. They repulse me. I never agreed with her version of events. Never," she wrote Sunday in Pakistan's The News.

"But in death, in death perhaps there is a moment to call for calm. To say, enough. We have had enough. We cannot, and we will not, take anymore madness," wrote Fatima, whose charisma, headstrong nature and striking looks have led to comparisons with her famous aunt.

The main divisive figure in the family is Bhutto's widowed husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who is accused of taking kickbacks while serving as a government minister and of involvement in his wife's brother's death.

Although Bhutto's will named Zardari as her successor as chairman of her People's Party, he instead deferred to their 19-year-old son, Bilawal — who has since taken the all-important "Bhutto" as a middle name. Zardari says he will run the party until his son finishes studies at Oxford University.

Benazir's family is one branch of the Bhutto tribe, one of the largest in the southern province of Sindh. Its hundreds of thousands of members range from farmers to landowners.

The patriarch of the clan is the 73-year-old Mumtaz Bhutto, Benazir's uncle, who presides like a feudal lord over serfs and servants in the family's ancestral hometown of Larkana. He said renaming Bilawal was a hollow ploy.

"It is an attempt to overshadow the Bhutto family and also to continue to get benefit from the name of Bhutto by the Zardaris," he said Thursday at his palatial home, where peacocks roam the grounds. "But it will not work. People will not accept this."

"Let the mourning period end and people will let hell loose on this issue," said Mashoq Bhutto, elder brother of Mumtaz who was also at the house.

Still, Mumtaz Bhutto said he was seeking to unite the family following his niece's death.

"It is only politics and Benazir's advent on the scene that split up the family, and now I am trying to mend the split," he said.

Benazir Bhutto was deeply hurt by the death of her brother, said Zafar Hilaly, 65, a foreign policy adviser during her last term as prime minister and in her recent campaign.

The killing ultimately forced her from office in 1996 after she accused the president of involvement.

Fakhri Saboonchi, a cousin and close confidante of Benazir's, expressed hope Zardari could become a unifying force in the clan and reach out to those still angry over Murtaza's death.

"I'm sure he's changed, he will work hard for it because this is his wife's will," Saboonchi said at her Karachi home, filled with photos of Bhutto's wedding and other relatives.

In one potential move to reconcile the family, Bhutto's younger sister, Sanam, has proposed 19-year-old Bilawal marry 25-year-old Fatima, according to a person who heard the discussion and spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.

However, several relatives dismissed an arranged marriage between the first cousins as unlikely in these modern times and between two children who are progressive in outlook.

Fatima's mother, Ghinwa, — who heads a dissident faction of the People's Party — said her daughter was like a big sister to her cousins and that such a marriage was out of the question.

"Bhutto's legacy is not something which is somebody's property," she said. "Bhutto's legacy is about people and nobody can grab the Bhutto legacy by any attempt."

It may indeed be up to the children to bring the family together — something that appears to already be happening. In an article after Benazir's death headlined "Young Bhuttos proving wiser than their elders," The News wrote that the Bhutto offspring drew closer through their shared mourning in Larkana, where Benazir was laid to rest beside her slain father.

"It seems that the shocking death of Benazir Bhutto has produced a great healing effect on the otherwise warring families and a sort of cease-fire has been put in place," it said.

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