If you do not have ‘connections’ at the right places and you have to apply for admission into government run universities, apply for taking examinations under those universities, apply for taking competitive examinations, apply for a job in government, apply for promotion or transfer, apply for pension, apply for passport, apply for birth certificate, apply to the utility companies for a change in residence, go through (God forbid) legal cases, have any kind of government related documentation done, etc. one has to go through similar pain EVERY TIME. There are hundreds of documents they ask you to get copies of, get them attested and verified, submit in person in designated offices after standing in queue for hours and paying bribes at every step.
The other day there were politicians on TV complaining that how dare ECP and HEC have asked them to get their educational documents verified and attested. “This is not my job”, one said. Seems they have never gone through such a process before. It was their own brothers and sisters, who in fact, made educational qualifications of ALL politicians suspect in the first place.
Complaining about idiotic questions from Returning Officers? Well, at least you get a little idea what a ‘common man’ goes through dealing with government officials.
/* end of rant */