Bishop Nasir to contest “Presidential Elections” in year 2007.

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CNI. Islamabad. The Rt. Rev. Dr. Major (Retired) Timotheus Nasir announced his “candidacy” for the “Presidential Elections”, expected to be held in year 2007. Despite the fact that according to the 1973 Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pak

the "nomination papers" for the elections to the office of the President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. When this fact was reminded to Bishop Nasir, he said firmly that in his opinion the 1973 Constitution is illegal and that he is going to file a "Constitutional Petition" with the "Supreme Court of Pakistan" very soon requesting to abrogate the 1973 Constitution or the "discriminatory clause" that draws lines between personal matters of "faith" of an individual and "equality of citizenship". If I am an equal citizen of Pakistan then I stand qualified for being elected to any public office. If my "faith" draws a line to my optimum status as Pakistani, than I am not an equal citizen of Pakistan. The Supreme Court will have to tell me, where does my status of a citizen of Pakistan ends and status as a "subject" of Pakistan starts. Explaining his point of view on the legality of the 1973 constitution, the Bishop said that on 16th December 1971 after the secession of East Pakistan, the left over "National Assembly" and all West Pakistani Provincial Assemblies automatically stood dissolved. Mr. Bhutto should have gotten new mandate from the people of West Pakistan. Fresh elections should have been held in a given period of time. Yet this important aspect was overlooked by Mr. Bhutto. After 16th December 1971, the existing National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies had no legal status to operate as representative body of people of Pakistan. Therefore any or all action taken by the then "defunct" National Assembly including framing of 1973 Constitution stands null and void automatically. Thus the 1973 Constitution stands "illegal" in its entirety. Bishop Timotheus Nasir quoted the father of the nation Quid-E-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's Presidential address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on 11th August 1947. The Quaid said, "You are free; you are free to go to your temples. You are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship places in this State of Pakistan (Church omitted in latest edition of the speech). You may belong to any religion or caste or creed, that has nothing to do with the business of State". The Quaid further said, "Now, I think we should keep that in front of us as ideal and you will find in course of time Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims will cease to be Muslims, not in religious sense, because that is the personal faith of an individual, but in the political sense. (Christians again omitted in 2004 edition) He said that Pakistan was never a theocratic state as mentioned by the Father of the Nation. In "Political Sense" all citizens of Pakistan have equal status and the "Office of the President of Pakistan" is not a religious office. It is a political office and any citizen has the right to hold this office without discrimination of faith, sect or creed. He further added that I am an "equal citizen" of Pakistan, claimed to be enjoying all rights and privileges as any other citizen of Pakistan does. And if I am an equal citizen of Pakistan than I have the right to contest any or all elections in Pakistan including "Presidential Election" because religion or caste or creed, has nothing to do with the "Business of State". Office of the President is "Business of State" and should not be attached to my "individual faith". It is at least my "right" to file my "Nomination Papers" for the elections to the office of the President of Pakistan. Asked if he would be a candidate against President General Pervaiz Musharaff in year 2007, the bishop said, "sure I would if he is Presidential candidate in year 2007. Yet this does not mean that at this moment I am against General Pervaiz Musharaff. Bishop Nasir further added that I was born in Pakistan. I was selected for army through the same process with the same "percentage" of 0.50% at the time of completion of military training, as any other officer of Pakistan Army including General Musharaff. I graduated from the same military academy and got my basic "Artillery" training from the same "School of Artillery" from where General Pervaiz Musharaff got his basic Artillery training. I retired as a "Field Officer" and have the experience of command and administration. He further added that he has the experience of dealing different difficult and unexpected situations amicably, such as external and internal security. Therefore leading the nation is not some thing that I can not do. When asked that being a Christian how could he contest the Presidential Elections, the Bishop answered, "I am an equal citizen of Pakistan or at least claimed or considered to be equal citizen" and according to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah,s above mentioned speech, I qualify for the Office of the President of Pakistan. My religious belief has nothing to do with my political or national liabilities for the prosperity of Pakistan. If I can protect Pakistan, why can't I lead Pakistan on the path of prosperity? Answering a question about the chances of wining the election of the President of Pakistan, Bishop Nasir said, I may not have any chance to win the Presidency of Pakistan, yet even filing my nomination papers for the Presidential Elections in year 2007 would be a "victory". Having no chance to win the Presidency of Pakistan does not mean that I must sit quietly on "back benches" forever and should not make any effort for the "Rights" that were guaranteed to me by the Father of the Nation Quiad-E-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Bishop Nasir assured that he has no political ambitions yet he must struggle for his "Right" as citizen of Pakistan, if at all he is citizen of Pakistan. He said that he never was a "back bencher" and will never be a "back bencher".

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"Trial of Pakistani Christian Nation" By Nazir S Bhatti

On demand of our readers, I have decided to release E-Book version of "Trial of Pakistani Christian Nation" on website of PCP which can also be viewed on website of Pakistan Christian Congress www.pakistanchristiancongress.org . You can read chapter wise by clicking tab on left handside of PDF format of E-Book.

nazirbhattipcc@aol.com , pakistanchristianpost@yahoo.com