What we should see

We as a nation have grown sceptical about those who rule us. Looking at politicians with a jaundiced eye can make sense, especially in a country like Pakistan where corruption has become so institutionalised that we often assume everyone in politics is crooked and out to make a buck for themselves rather than being motivated by a desire for public service. However, we need to be wary of not letting scepticism curdle into cynicism that might blind us to the goodness that we should be able to see where it is found. In every field there are also those who are above reproach and have been honest about their source of wealth. They have not tried to shortchange the national exchequer. Take, for example, the PPP’s Aitzaz Ahsan, who has taken the lead in devising his party’s response to the Panama leaks. On paper, he is one of the wealthiest senators – which may also be because he, unlike many others, has declared his wealth and paid all the taxes due on it. The details of Aitzaz Ahsan’s assets – documented transparently – were released recently by the ECP. He has earned his living not by inheriting it or by fleecing the public. Rather, he built up a law practice and made a living like any other extremely able professional. In any case, as should be clear to any just eye, being wealthy does not amount to being corrupt, if the wealth in question is not tainted by any hint of wrongdoing. People like Aitzaz should actually serve as an example that – even in a society like ours where corruption is so well-entrenched – one can remain clean and be secure in the knowledge that one has nothing to hide.

Such examples should also be kept in mind while thinking about those many whose names appear in the Panama Papers. Not all – or even most – of those people are necessarily guilty of corruption. Forming an offshore company or owning assets abroad is not illegal in itself. So long as wealth has been declared and taxes paid on it, it is perfectly appropriate to maintain offshore accounts. This is why it is so essential for any investigation into offshore wealth to try and reconcile the information leaked in the Panama Papers with tax returns filed in Pakistan. Only then will we able to separate the financially corrupt from the financially successful.