Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ISLAMABAD1633
2008-04-21 13:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Islamabad
Cable title:
SUPREME COURT ABOLISHES GRADUATION REQUIREMENT FOR
how-toVZCZCXRO3433 OO RUEHLH RUEHPW DE RUEHIL #1633 1121314 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 211314Z APR 08 FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6613 INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 8483 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 7756 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 3151 RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 9596 RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 5347 RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 4080 RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 001633
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2018
TAGS: PGOV PK PREL KJUS
SUBJECT: SUPREME COURT ABOLISHES GRADUATION REQUIREMENT FOR
ELECTIVE OFFICE
REF: ISLAMABAD 1612
Classified By: Anne W. Patterson, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 001633
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2018
TAGS: PGOV PK PREL KJUS
SUBJECT: SUPREME COURT ABOLISHES GRADUATION REQUIREMENT FOR
ELECTIVE OFFICE
REF: ISLAMABAD 1612
Classified By: Anne W. Patterson, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (U) Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled April 21 to abolish the
constitutional requirement that candidates for elective
office have a bachelors degree, among other qualifications.
This pre-qualification to run was introduced by President
Pervez Musharraf in the lead-up to the 2002 parliamentary
elections in an attempt to prevent religious leaders from
being elected. A seven-member panel led by Chief Justice
Abdul Hameed Dogar held today, in a "short order," that this
provision was unconstitutional under Articles 25 and 17,
guaranteeing that all citizens are treated equally and that
every citizen has the right to participate fully in political
parties, respectively.
2. (U) The graduation requirement had been cited by
international and domestic observer missions covering
Pakistan's February 18 parliamentary elections as one of the
impediments to a free and fair electoral process. The EU
Observer Mission's final report, released just April 16,
estimated that about 95 percent of Pakistanis were
disqualified from even running for office because of this
graduation requirement (reftel).
3. (U) The graduation requirement was also the cause of much
litigation, as candidates argued that other degrees, for
example, from madrassas offering a 13th and 14th year of
schooling, should or should not be accepted. Many of these
legal challenges from 2002 are reportedly still pending with
Pakistan's Election Commission.
4. (C) Comment: This ruling clears the way for Pakistan
People's Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Zardari to run for
Benazir Bhutto's National Assembly constituency of Larkana in
by-elections scheduled for June. Despite repeated efforts,
Embassy has been unable to clarify whether Zardari ever
completed his associates-equivalent degree from a college in
the UK. That question now becomes moot; however, the ruling
re-opens the debate over whether Zardari will become the
Prime Minister. Under Pakistani law, one must be a member of
parliament to become Prime Minister; after the by-election,
Zardari will qualify. This weekend, Zardari indicated to the
press that he might one day become Prime Minister.
Information Minister Sherry Rehman quickly assured Pakistanis
he was speaking of the distant future, not the present. We
shall see. End comment.
PATTERSON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2018
TAGS: PGOV PK PREL KJUS
SUBJECT: SUPREME COURT ABOLISHES GRADUATION REQUIREMENT FOR
ELECTIVE OFFICE
REF: ISLAMABAD 1612
Classified By: Anne W. Patterson, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (U) Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled April 21 to abolish the
constitutional requirement that candidates for elective
office have a bachelors degree, among other qualifications.
This pre-qualification to run was introduced by President
Pervez Musharraf in the lead-up to the 2002 parliamentary
elections in an attempt to prevent religious leaders from
being elected. A seven-member panel led by Chief Justice
Abdul Hameed Dogar held today, in a "short order," that this
provision was unconstitutional under Articles 25 and 17,
guaranteeing that all citizens are treated equally and that
every citizen has the right to participate fully in political
parties, respectively.
2. (U) The graduation requirement had been cited by
international and domestic observer missions covering
Pakistan's February 18 parliamentary elections as one of the
impediments to a free and fair electoral process. The EU
Observer Mission's final report, released just April 16,
estimated that about 95 percent of Pakistanis were
disqualified from even running for office because of this
graduation requirement (reftel).
3. (U) The graduation requirement was also the cause of much
litigation, as candidates argued that other degrees, for
example, from madrassas offering a 13th and 14th year of
schooling, should or should not be accepted. Many of these
legal challenges from 2002 are reportedly still pending with
Pakistan's Election Commission.
4. (C) Comment: This ruling clears the way for Pakistan
People's Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Zardari to run for
Benazir Bhutto's National Assembly constituency of Larkana in
by-elections scheduled for June. Despite repeated efforts,
Embassy has been unable to clarify whether Zardari ever
completed his associates-equivalent degree from a college in
the UK. That question now becomes moot; however, the ruling
re-opens the debate over whether Zardari will become the
Prime Minister. Under Pakistani law, one must be a member of
parliament to become Prime Minister; after the by-election,
Zardari will qualify. This weekend, Zardari indicated to the
press that he might one day become Prime Minister.
Information Minister Sherry Rehman quickly assured Pakistanis
he was speaking of the distant future, not the present. We
shall see. End comment.
PATTERSON