Family ties and nepotism are blatant in Senate nominations

Prior to the Senate elections that are set for the first week of April, family connections and well-known figures are once again controlling Pakistani politics rather than merit-based decisions.

The findings indicate a widespread tendency across Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), and Balochistan to place a higher value on dynasty politics and personal ties than on democratic processes.

The allocation of Senate tickets in Sindh, a region ruled by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), highlights the importance of personal ties within the party. One notable exception from merit-based selections is the exclusion of senior party leader and former Senate chairman Mian Raza Rabbani from the list of candidates.

Rather, tickets have been given to people like Quratulain Marri and Nadeem Bhutto who have personal relationships or family links.

Political analyst Shahab Usto noted the ubiquity of a political culture based on nepotism and familial ties in his reflections on this tendency. Usto said, “The political parties in Pakistan primarily allot tickets based on familial ties and personal relationships.”

In order to counteract such behaviors, he emphasized the necessity of bolstering democratic standards inside political parties.Similar trends are seen in Punjab, where powerful individuals and supporters of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), including as Mohsin Naqvi and Ahad Cheema, are given preference for Senate nominations.

In this sense, the selection process had marginalized party workers in favor of those with personal ties to party leaders, which continued a cycle of dynasty politics, according to Dr. Hassan Askari, a political analyst who closely follows Punjabi politics.

In a direct criticism of grassroots party members, Dr. Askari declared: “Tickets, whether they be for the Senate elections or other elections, are issued only to the influential.”Similarly, the K-P Senate battle is a reflection of the dynastic politics that were seen in the most recent general elections.

Conventional political families are still powerful, as seen by the nominations of well-known individuals over members of the party’s grassroots. Azam Khan Swati and Faisal Javed of the PTI are two notable instances; in spite of criticism, they have been repeatedly nominated to the Senate.

Senior lawmakers and former senators are examining this apparent nepotism in the upper house, bemoaning the loss of meritocracy and the flood of inexperienced people.

In this context, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) member and former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan expressed the opinion that the Senate’s function as a forum for province participation and legislative supervision was being overlooked. “We’ve seen in recent years how wealthy individuals, ATMs, and black money holders have used their connections or influence to buy their way into the Senate.”

As a result, the Senate’s caliber has declined,” claimed Khan.”This is demonstrated by the fact that mudslinging has become the primary topic of discussion in the Senate.”

And unless wise, honorable, and capable people enter the Senate, it will remain little more than a protocol house,” he continued.

Reiterating Khan’s concerns, prominent politician Zahid Khan, a member of the Senate from 1997 to 2007, expressed worry that the increasing number of inexperienced and non-political people was diluting the Senate’s purpose.

He cautioned that if the Senate was not filled with seasoned senators dedicated to preserving democratic values, it may lose its relevance. “Gone are the times when the upper house of Parliament was focused on public issues,” Khan said.