End the cycle

With the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) giving a clean chit to former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, ex-finance minister Miftah Ismail and others in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) reference, we are reminded once again of the flawed accountability process that has been practised in the country for decades and which became most prominent during the PTI government of 2018-2022. In 2019, NAB Rawalpindi had filed a reference in the LNG import contract case against 10 persons, including Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Miftah Ismail. Both Abbasi and Ismail spent months in jail for a case that had no merit. They may have all been exonerated now but after paying a heavy price, including their freedoms being taken away, a hit to their reputation and the mental toll it takes on people.

Some part of the toll this took on those who were effectively targeted as an effective witch-hunt was revealed by Miftah Ismail during the Geo programme: Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath last week. During the show, Miftah Ismail revealed that he is aware of a meeting during the PTI government in which Imran Khan was told that cases against three people – Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Miftah Ismail and Ahsan Iqbal – would undermine NAB’s value because these cases were ‘completely stupid’. However, the former PM reportedly said that they must be kept in jail or else his ‘narrative’ would suffer. Interestingly, while PTI leaders today rightly question politics of persecution, they have refused to ever acknowledge how their government had put almost every opposition leader in jail and was part of the vilification campaign against them.

Pakistan is hardly a stranger to politically motivated cases being made against political opponents to settle political vendettas. This cycle of persecution needs to end because every government makes promises that it won’t be repeated. Yet, every time we see the same old mistakes being repeated. The only difference this time is how the PTI leadership has no remorse over what happened during its tenure and refuses to acknowledge its complicity. From the presidential reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa to many other such cases, the PTI conveniently shifts the blame to the then establishment, without apologising for its own complicity. That said, what is happening today just shows that this vicious cycle is not just continuing but has amplified. Conceding that they made mistakes in the past does not exonerate the current government of any current persecution.

There may be some good news in this regard. According to a story published in this paper, NAB has updated its SOPs to shield businessmen and civilian bureaucracy from unnecessary harassment and is now developing a policy aimed at protecting politicians and parliamentarians from past instances of political victimization. In collaboration with the speaker of the National Assembly, NAB is formulating a strategy to ensure that parliamentarians are shielded from arbitrary arrests and negative publicity while maintaining the core principles of accountability. These measures come after NAB acknowledged the wastage of time and resources in processing non-cognizable complaints, which hampers its operations and effectiveness.

What is needed is for all political parties to realize they have made mistakes, have been used, and vow to not repeat these mistakes again. They should also apologize unconditionally to those they have wronged. If there is any genuine case against a political opponent, due process must be followed. Until political parties stop being willing partners in such witch-hunts against their rivals, we will keep seeing the same cycle being repeated again and again. And if the political class does not sit together today and still looks elsewhere for deals, this cycle will become permanent.