Get Nawaz or get the whole corrupt lot

ISLAMABAD: The basic question that arises after the latest criticism by some of the opposition parties’ leaders on the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the inquiry commission is whether Pakistan should use this opportunity for an overall purging and accountability of corruption committed during the last many decades, as also reflected in the Panama Papers, or should we focus merely on allegations being leveled against one person – Nawaz Sharif.  Should the inquiry commission to be constituted be given an opportunity to conduct comprehensive investigations by taking help from audit, tax, forensic, international law and financial experts, examine system and records of SBP, FBR and point out wrongdoings, wrongdoers and suggest improvements in the system to stop such corrupt practices and transfer of capital to offshore havens - or we should make all-out efforts to get rid of one person, Nawaz Sharif.

Following consistent complaints of bad governance, loan write-offs, kickbacks, commissions, transfer of hundreds of billions of rupees out of the country, Pakistan has finally got an opportunity to carry out massive cleansing of decades long corruption committed by politicians and civil and military baboos.

No doubt, the demand that members of the commission should probe allegations leveled in Panama Papers and other corruption charges should not be nominated by Nawaz Sharif or his government was a fair and genuine demand as the immediate members of prime minister family were facing different charges in connection with Panama Papers. All other demands being made by different political parties and some sections of media are incorporated in comprehensive ToRs of the commission. Whether will it be fair to demand to prosecute only one person or his family and ignore alleged wrongdoings of all others?

There are people who are confusing some points in ToRs by stating that commission domain should have been restricted to probe Panama Papers. This clearly reflects that even Panama Papers revelations and transferring wealth to offshore companies has not been well understood. It is clear if any law is not being violated while earning money, paying taxes and transferring money abroad through legal channels, the only wrongdoing or corrupt practice in case of having offshore companies and maintaining offshore accounts is to park, hide and protect ill-gotten money.

Now if the commission will only probe if somebody has offshore companies and offshore accounts as revealed in Panama Papers, almost everybody will try to prove that his offshore investments were legal like in the case of offshore companies attached with Shaukat Khanum Trust and in case of PTI leader Aleem Khan. The basic concept of the demands being made by the public was not to certify the fact whether anybody owns offshore companies or maintains offshore bank accounts. The basic concept of the demand was in fact to probe how the money was made in Pakistan, whether it was honestly earned money or was ill-gotten, the money sent abroad was taxed or not, were these amounts declared in income tax returns or not, whether these were transferred out of Pakistan using legal channels or not.

Now the only question remains is how the ill-gotten money was made in Pakistan during last a few decades. Certainly the loan write-off was the major source of plundering national wealth. Loans were taken from banks by using influence and were gotten written off by using the same power and influence. Certainly, there must not be any effort to safeguard loan defaulters and those who got big loans written off. Most importantly, big kickbacks and commissions were taken in government and defence deals during all these years. As to why these acts of loot and plunder should not be investigated. Obviously, if ill-gotten wealth was transferred outside Pakistan, the money was earned through these means of plundering and these needs to be investigated. Simple probe to ascertain as to who owns offshore companies and who do not own means nothing.

This is the time that top legal stalwarts give their suggestions to the commission so it can effectively carry out one of the most important exercises of our national history so the mess created by incompetent and corrupt people can be cleared. This time will never come again during the regime of any democratic government. This is the best time that this commission should carry out an in-depth examination of records and evidence and held those responsible who committed acts of corruption, looted national wealth and resources during last four to five decades and pushed Pakistan backward.