Mr. Ansar Abbasi____________Is It Fair?

The attitude of the Returning Officers’ had already become quite controversial, but the rejection of the Ayaz Ameer`s nomination papers clearly opened a hot discussion on the issue of the Ideology of Pakistan. Most of the anchorpersons, analysts, columnists and journalists seem to be criticizing the procedure adopted by the Election Commission and its Returning officers.

However, Mr. Ansar Abbasi, a senior journalist, has completely rejected all the objections on the EC and its RO`s arguing that the prevailing scrutiny is the requirement of the Constitution under the Articles 62 & 63. He also fully supported the disqualification of Ayaz Amir explaining that in addition to his criticism on the ideology of Pakistan, Ayaz Amir also admitted that he had been drinking alcohol, and thus, an alcohol-drinking person cannot be considered as righteous and profligate as per the Quran and Sunna.

Regardless of the Ayaz Amir`s critic view on the ideology of Pakistan, I agree to Ansar Abbasi`s stance that an alcoholic person cannot be believed as righteous and profligate or “Sadiq aur Amin”. However, it is a very obvious part of the recent past of the Pakistani politics that the former Interior Minister of Sindh, Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza held a press conference and leveled very serious charges on MQM and its leadership by holding the holly Quran in his hands. As a result, almost all the political analysts, columnists, anchorpersons and the journalists including Mr. Ansar Abbasi trusted him arguing that it was an integral part of the basic belief (Imaan) of a true Muslim to believe all the words of a man who is saying them by having the holly Quran in his hands.

It is to be noticed that Dr. Zulfiqar Mriza also confessed that he used to drink alcohol. Now the question is, due to drinking alcohol, did Zulfiqar Mirza deserve to be considered as righteous and profligate person under the Quraan and Sunna and the Articles 62 & 63? When no, why did Ansar Abbasi as well blindly believe all the charges of Zulfiqar Mirza on MQM? Were the 62&63 clauses not the part of the Constitution that time?? Had the “Islamic clauses” of the constitution been inactive for Zulfiqar Mirza? When no, why did Ansar Abbas violate these “sacred” Articles and the teachings of Quran and Sunna? But, if he was giving a benefit of doubt to Zulfiqar Mirza despite drinking wine, why does he not have the similar relaxation for other candidates including Ayaz Amir this time?

In addition to this, Mr. Ansar Abbasi considered Zulfiqar Mirza as “Sadiq” not because of his personality, interior Ministry or the documents he was having with him in the press conference, but due to the fact that he was holding the holly Quran in his hands. According to him, every Muslim was religiously bound to believe the claimant if or she he says anything by putting hands on the holly Quran.

However, surprisingly, when Malik Riyaz held the press conference and claimed something about the CJP Mr. Iftekhar Choudhry and his son Arsalan Iftekhar by putting his hands on the holly Quran, why did Ansar Abbasi, like other anti-government people, not consider him as “Sadiq” in the same way as he did Zulfiqar Mirza? Why did he call Malik Riyaz as a liar? Was he not holding the holly Quran in his hands? If yes, why did Ansar Abbasi violate the integral part of his “Imaan” by not believing Malik Riyaz as righteous and profligate person? If believing Zulfiqar Mirza was actually showing respect towards the holly Quran, then what was calling Malik Riyaz a liar despite the holly Quran in his hands? Can that act anyhow be termed as respect to the holly book???

All the above stated things indicate the double standard of Ansar Abbasi in the name of Islam and the holly Quran which is an open contradiction of the Articles 62 & 63. Taking into account all these, does Mr. Ansar Abbasi himself deserve to be called a righteous and profligate person? This is the biased attitude adopted by the so-called religious-minded elements of which the majority of the Pakistanis are afraid. Therefore, all the neutral or impartial people will have to monitor the entire procedures being adopted especially for the Elections 2013 closely so that the Articles 62 & 63 and the teachings of Islam cannot be used as a weapon by a mind set against its rivals.