Pakistan's Constitution, Art. 62, provides, among other things, that a person shall not be qualified to be a member of Parliament (Majlis-e-Shoora) unless "he has adequate knowledge of Islamic teachings and practices obligatory duties prescribed by Islam as well as abstains from major sins." Yesterday's Wall Street Journal reports that for the first time election officials are enforcing this provision for candidates in the May 11 elections for the lower house of parliament and for four provincial legislatures. Individuals filing to be candidates are being asked to recite verses of the Qur'an or prayers. Their responses are being shown on television. In the country, 17,186 candidates are running for 849 contested legislative seats. Candidate screening is being carried out by judges temporarily working for the independent Election Commission. Candidates are being screened to see if they meet other constitutional requirements as well, such as being "of good character and ... not commonly known as one who violates Islamic Injunctions," and being "sagacious, righteous and non-profligate and honest and ameen."
UPDATE: On Friday evening, a Lahore High Court justice issued an order instructing election officials to "immediately refrain from asking random intrusive and inquisitive questions that have no nexus with information given in the nomination papers or do not arise from the objections raised by the other side." (Zee News).
