There is a time and place for everything, but last Thursday’s meeting of the parliamentary sub-committee on electoral reforms surely was not the time and place for the participants to resort to political point scoring or allow ego to come in the way. Unfortunately, the meeting ended on a sour note after, digressing from the committee’s agenda for the day – discussion of overseas Pakistanis voting and related issues — PTI’s Shireen Mazari started questioning the integrity of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) whose Secretary alongside other officials was present in the meeting. She wanted to know why provincial election commissioners were being transferred, going on to accuse the ECP of making inductions to those positions on a temporary basis as part of preparations to rig the upcoming general elections. If her remarks were as irrelevant as they were provocative, the ECP team did not help bring the discussion back on track. Instead, a petulant ECP Secretary and his team decided to walk out in protest.

Before stomping out, however, the Secretary explained that three provincial election commissioners had recently retired hence there was an immediate need to replace them. More importantly, he averred that postings and transfers are an internal matter of the commission, and that it was inappropriate to raise any questions over the process. He also rightly reminded the parliamentary panel that the ECP is an independent body, though he chose to add a rather arrogant comment saying the commission is not subordinate to Parliament or any of its committees. Even so, once he had said his piece there was no need to leave the discussion inconclusive, especially after the member making the inapt remarks had tendered an apology. The ECP representatives should have shown due respect to a body of the nation’s highest legislative forum.

The ECP may be an independent entity that though does not make it above reproach, especially after its glaring failures pointed out by the judicial commission. The ECP must provide every assistance that the parliamentary panels on electoral reforms require so as to ensure the next elections are held in a fair and free manner, leaving no room for anyone to cry foul.