From A Ringside Seat

In a dramatic move Raza Hayat Hiraj from the PML-Q presented a draft bill in National Assembly that elevated his standing in the press gallery. The bill proposed that all those politicians, bureaucrats, army personnel, who have a foreign nationality or own assets, moveable and immovable, abroad be declared ineligible to represent the people or hold any public office.
If standing ovation was allowed in the visitors' gallery Hiraj would have received it. Unfortunately a few of the parliamentarians were not impressed though they did feel constrained from voicing criticism in deference to what was obvious to all: the bill when made public through the media would receive wide spread support.
As usual absenteeism amongst the people's representatives charged with the responsibility of legislating was high during the National Assembly's Tuesday session, however, the proposed bill provided politicians an opportunity to redraft their eligibility criteria in the Constitution. Earlier, Article 63 of the Constitution, which deals with disqualification was amended through the 18th Constitutional Amendment and party heads were bestowed the powers to disqualify any member if he/she disapproved of any party strategy.
The legislation is meant to bring an end to the decade's old tradition of importing key players while catering to domestic and foreign interests. Former Prime Ministers Moeen Qureshi and Shaukat Aziz, both foreign passport holders, simply left the country once they were quit office. Many reflect that our incumbent Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh would also quietly depart the country once he loses his job.
Musharraf is in the UK on an extended visa. And several from the current batch of politicians in both the PPP and the PML-N were residing abroad during Musharraf's tenure. The bill introduced by Raza Hyat Heraj may, one hopes, bring the party leadership to display faith and belief in Pakistan first through prompt approval of this amendment.
Former Prime Minister and chief of PML-N Nawaz Sharif's sons reportedly have established businesses in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom; President Asif Ali Zardri touring his father's chateau in France was aired on television; Rehman Malik owns businesses abroad; Altaf Hussain of the MQM has dual nationality while the chief of ANP Asfandyar Wali Khan has reportedly built a financial empire in the UAE. With such political high stakes one can well imagine the fate of this bill.
Can we expect to attract foreign investment when our political leadership maintains the majority of its assets abroad? This question keeps resurfacing in the media and the politicians have yet to provide any satisfactory answers. The moment, Raza Hayat Heraj tabled his proposed legislation it was hailed by desk thumping since he had exonerated 95 per cent parliamentarians from corruption, foreign accounts and dual nationality. He lambasted Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh for his statement in the US: politicians were stumbling blocks in broadening the tax net of the country.
Heraj dismissed the Finance Minister by stating he belonged to a category of people who were a part of the past government as well as the present. "Today, I have introduced this amendment to block future entry of such people," he said. Hiraj maintained that only 5 per cent of politicians had foreign assets and/or dual nationality and they were defaming the Parliament. Statement of objects and reason, given in the bill reads: "This bill is an attempt to preempt a revolting situation, which may give rise to turmoil within our country."
Hiraj made a brief but emotional speech saying that this is the time for us to pledge our unconditional support to our Pakistan and solemnly affirm our unfathomable patriotism. The bill would be a litmus test for those who believe in and have faith in Pakistan, he added.
Once Hiraj was done with presentation of the bill, Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi asked Syed Khursheed Shah, the only person responding to every single issue being raised by the lawmakers due to absence of relevant ministers, for an opinion so that it could be referred to the concerned standing committee.
Rising up from his seat, Khursheed Shah targeted desk thumpers saying 'you have thumped your desk without knowing about the contents of this bill.' His statement gave rise to two questions: Do lawmakers bother to go through any proposed amendment, since they are provided with copies prior to the session? Are parliamentarians with limited education capable of comprehending legislation?
In addition, Khrusheed Shah confidently stated that "we (pointing a finger at the Treasury benches) do not have accounts abroad, therefore, we have no issue in approving it. He, however, did make a skilful attempt to criticise the bill saying that disqualifying any member from contesting elections or holding public office owing to his/her children's foreign accounts who were studying abroad is unfair. The bill as per procedure has been sent to the concerned standing committee for further deliberations. One would hope that it does not suffer the same fate as the accountability bill still pending for three years.