Comment
ISLAMABAD: Frustrated with the failure of the ToRs committee to produce any results, the leading opposition parties - PPP and PTI- continue to focus their politics on get-Nawaz strategy with no hint of any keenness on their part to establish a robust and independent anti-corruption system for across the board accountability.
This situation is soothing for the PML-N leadership, which would welcome legal fights whether in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) or before a court of law, knowing well that the ECP and court matters could be made complicated, delayed for indefinite period and decided in their favour with the help of right choice of a legal team.
Ironically the PML-N government like its predecessor - the PPP regime - is also not interested in the creation of independent accountability body, which is the only sustainable solution to check corruption and corrupt practices.
It is generally believed and has also been demonstrated during the last eight years that both the PML-N and PPP do not want independent accountability commission because of skeletons in their own cupboards. The PTI has, however, compromised on its long standing demand of setting up independent commission only to ensure that the PTI and PPP stay together in the attainment of their immediate political get-Nawaz goal.
Already the government and opposition parties have wasted several weeks ever since unearthing of Panama Papers. Now they are taking their fight to the ECP and to the court of law, which will take months to conclude.
On the contrary, only a few weeks’ deliberations between the government and opposition are required to set up an independent and neutral accountability body for across the board accountability. In the presence of independent accountability commission, there will be no need for setting up judicial commissions after the unearthing of every case of corruption and misuse of power.
Ironically, in the present system all the concerned institutions including NAB, FIA and FBR have conveniently overlooked the Panama Papers’ disclosures. The basic reason for this is the politicisation and government control on these institutions.
Institution building and robust accountability system are the promises included in the election manifesto of almost all the ruling and opposition parties. Even in the Charter of
Democracy, signed between PPP and PML-N and endorsed by several other parties, there was an agreement to replace NAB with an independent accountability commission.
However, practically no step has been taken to turn this promise into a reality. After the deadlock in the ToRs committee, the PTI and the PPP have separately announced to approach the ECP to seek the disqualification of all Sharifs active in politics. These announcements are though made separately, believed to be the result of some behind the scene understanding between the two parties.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Thursday announced to withdraw from the Parliamentary Committee on the formulation of ToRs for probing the PanamaLeaks, saying that the participation in the Parliamentary Committee meeting is meaningless, and accountability must start from Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his family.
The same day, the PTI also said that it was approaching the ECP against Sharifs. On Friday Imran Khan in a press conference talked of first approaching the ECP and then the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
These announcements from the opposition are not much worrisome for the government whose main concern is to stop the opposition from taking to the streets on the issue of Panama Papers.