ISLAMABAD - The graduation condition for taking part in the October elctions in Pakistan is set to block way of many seasoned politicians to return to the Parliament.

For the first time in the country's political history, the present governmnet has decided to clamp the much-talked about condition of graudation for the Parliament candidates.

The measure has led to seemingly unending series of discussions among the politicians, experts and the common man as to how much the condition will hamper the way of veteran politicians to reach the corridors of power in the elections, about four months away.

The common people as well as some of the analysts having keen eye on poilitical developments, have welcomed the condition as a healthy trend to ensure clean and educated team of parliamentarians in future.

They believe that the condition will lead to a better performance by the lawmakers in the future parliamentary set-up.

Recent reports in the newspapers as to how many old and seasoned politicians will not be able to contest the assembly elections in October have sent ripples across the politicial arena in the country.

However, religious parties in Pakistan have raised their eyebrows fearing that the measure will create hurdle in the way of many a veteran politicians in the future assemblies.

"It is a shabby tool to deprive the right to take part in elections for the politicians who do not have a bachelor's degree but have unmatchable experience in the parliamentary affairs," commented leader of Jamaat i Islami.

It is interesting to note that so much so some parties including Pakistan Muslims League (Quaid i Azam), which otherwise backs the Musharraf government, have opposed the condition of graduation.

Talking to "IRNA", a PML(Q) leader Yahya Munawwar said that his party may take the matter to the courts as it meant to create hurdle in the way of many seasoned politicians like Gohar Ayub and Majid Malik, both have been ministers in the previous governments but have no graduation degree to contest elections in future.

"It aims at obstructing the seasoned politicians and parliamentarians who have immense experience of working in a democratic set-up but fall short of meeting the condition,"he argued.

A senior politician of Pakistan Muslim League (NAWAZ) Siddiqul Farooq remarked that no such conditions have ever been imposed in a democratic country.

However, he added, this condition, may be applied in a country where the literacy rate is quite high and if for parliamentarians, graduation is a must, then for the slot of the president, PHD condition be also introduced.

Another former minister and leader of Christian minority in Pakistan, Julius Salik was of the view that the condition should not be made mandatory for the elections.

"My son may not be able to serve the people in a better manner as I could despite not being a graduate," he maintained.

Many of those, he added, who had participated in the Pakistan movement were not graduates but played their role in an effective way to create a separate piece of land for the people of this part of the world. The press reports have hinted that bulk of the former parliamentarians will not be able to return to the assemblies if the condition of the graduation is maintained.

The government sources said that the chances of the withdrawing the condition were very very slim." The condition will help in better legislation in future," they said defending the measure.

As the month of October draws nearer, different political and religious parties are weighing different options to win more seats in the coming elections.