Anyone who has deeply observed our political system and has knowledge of its working principles and rules knows that its has become a political tradition in our country that when the representatives of different political groups get elected, they forsake their personal opinions and back their own political party and cast votes in its favour in every situation. Obviously, this tradition is not only in negation of the Islamic values but is against the interest of the nation as well.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi in his article ‘Pas Chai Bayad Kard’ writes:

The third evil in this system is that people should vote for whatever is in the party's interest, even if their conscience considers it against the truth. Quite evidently, this attitude cannot be tolerated in a religion which says that the whole Muslim Ummah has been instituted to bear witness to the truth and whose followers have pledged a covenant at the hands of the Prophet (sws) that they will always say what is right disregarding `the reproaches of a reproacher'. (Pg 36)

It is true that the representatives of a group or party hold similar views more or less, but this does not mean that in every situation and in minor details there should be absolute harmony and agreement among them and that the viewpoint of the group should be the standard of right and wrong in all situations.

People who are given place in the various fora of the state are in reality the custodians of the nation's interest. They, therefore, should not be puppets with their controls in other people's hands. In fact, they should say whatever seems right to them and should support only that which they consider in the interest of their nation and religion. In other words, whenever a person from any party is elected to the Parliament, his affiliation to his party should become secondary. He should work in every way for his nation and people and support the right cause. Carrying out his responsibilities in a befitting manner should be his first priority.

When the Caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid took over the reins of power of the Muslim Ummah, Qazi Abu Yousaf gave the following advice:

[Government] officers are answerable to their Lord in the same way as the shepherd is to his master. For this reason, try to fulfil properly whatever responsibility God has placed on you even if it is for a short while. To Allah, the lucky ruler is the one whose subjects are happy with him ... don't give heed to anyone's reproof where Allah and his law is concerned; be fearful of Allah always. And this fear should not be oral merely, but from the heart. Adopt piety, and piety means to keep away from disobeying Allah. And whoever tries to stay away [from Allah’s disobedience], Allah always protects him. (Kitaab-ul-Kharaaj, Pg 4)

(Adapted from Moiz Amjad's commentary on Ghamidi's Manshoor)