Rangers filling the void caused by govt’s inaction

ISLAMABAD: Involving the Rangers in cases of corruption and white-collar crimes, as is apparent in the case of Dr Asim Hussain, shows the military-led agency is stepping outside its domain. Yet it also speaks volumes about the failure of the PML-N government to set up a credible accountability system to fix looters and plunderers of national wealth.
What should have been done by NAB, the FIA and the provincial anti-corruption department months and years ago is now being done by the Sindh Rangers with the Sindh government showing no keenness to check the mounting corruption in the province.
During the last PPP government, the PML-N severely criticised the alleged corruption of the government besides showing the resolve to take the corrupt to task when it came to power. However, during the last two-and-a-half years, accountability remains low on the list of priorities of the Nawaz Sharif government whereas the PPP’s Sindh government continues to be known more for its corruption and bad governance than anything else.
The white-collared crimes like money laundering, land grabbing, illegal allotments and financial corruption do not fall under the purview of the Rangers’ mandate yet it has been forced to go after the accused involved in such offences. Dr Asim Hussain has been blamed for corruption in the past but it was never even thought that he would be involved in terror financing.
According to media reports, the Rangers had got 90 days remand of Dr Asim from the anti-terrorist court on the basis of allegations of terror financing besides the accusation of corruption, which is the domain of NAB, the FIA and the anti-corruption department. The Rangers could only proceed in cases of terror financing but no evidence has been shared to show Dr Asim being involved in terrorism funding.
Now Dr Asim’s case has been referred to the JIT that has been constituted by NAB and comprises representaties of NAB, the FIA and Rangers. The JIT, recently set-up to lend help in the Rangers-led operation against corruption, will finally decide as to who among the three would finally deal with Asim’s case keeping in view the mandate given by the law to each of these government entities.
The Rangers are likely to face criticism particularly from the PPP for apprehending the former minister and a close aide of ex-president Asif Ali Zardari under the law framed by the legislature for terrorists. Though the excuses of the PPP to defend its corruption have little sympathy among the general public, arresting an allegedly corrupt person on terrorism charges would make the case weak for the Rangers.
It was primarily the job of NAB, the FIA or the anti-corruption department to arrest Dr Asim on charges of alleged corruption. None of them did it.
The Rangers are seen as overstepping their mandate but it is argued how could the military remain a spectator while the loot and plunder of the national wealth go unchecked.
It is generally believed that the PPP did not learn any lesson from its past mistakes. Despite losing the 2013 elections because of misrule and corruption, the present Sindh government is still seen as the most corrupt amongst all the governments. To save the corrupt, the PPP and even the Sindh government are criticising the NAB and FIA for the recent actions against corruption. There is a feeling that the PPP government in Sindh does not want anyone to focus on corruption.
Adding insult to the injury, the PML-N government practically backtracked from its pre-May 2013 election resolve to catch the corrupt and getting the looted money back. It was the PML-N that had agreed with the PPP in the Charter of Democracy to set up an independent accountability commission to ensure across-the-board accountability.
During the PPP’s rule, the two parties simply never agreed to any draft law for the creation of such a commission. During the 26 months of the Nawaz Sharif government, not a single meeting has been called to take action to curb corruption.
Legally and ideally, the government, parliament and the political parties are required to establish a reliable, neutral and independent anti-corruption commission for across-the-board accountability. If they fail, the public pressure would greet the military to do the accountability of the corrupt, including politicians, no matter what the law says.