ISLAMABAD: The Senate of Pakistan has endorsed a report of its Standing Committee on Law and Justice seeking a unified and comprehensive accountability system in the country for all, including generals and judges. The report of the committee, which is expected to be discussed in the next session of the Upper House, expressed dissatisfaction with the present accountability system. It noted that the NAB, which has been entrusted with the task of investigating and prosecuting corruption, falls short of the principle of “Accountability for all”. The report, a copy of which is available with The News, says: “The transparency of its (NAB) prosecution has increasingly been called to question being selective as the excesses of the military and the judiciary have by and large, been ignored by the Bureau.” The Senate committee, whose report was unanimously adopted by the Senate on September 18, insisted, “In some isolated cases, the Bureau’s investigation methods have also been reported in the national press as violation of the standard human rights norms. These perceptions need to be rectified, if the accountability process is to gain credibility and transparency.” The Senate committee was chaired by Senator M Javed Abbasi and comprised members including senators Raja Zafarul Haq, Aitzaz Ahsan, Zahid Khan, Dr Farogh Naseem, Saeed Ghani, Babar Awan, Farooq H Naik and others. The issue of “Corruption in federal government departments” was raised in the Senate and referred to the committee in May 2015. The committee held various meetings and of late came up with the report, which has the following salient features. — NAB and FIA have overlapping jurisdictions. Neither the NAB Ordinance 1999 nor the FIA Act 1974 draws a clear distinction between the mandate and jurisdiction of these two institutions. Therefore, the NAB and FIA laws should be reviewed on priority basis to clear ambiguities and ensure smooth mechanism for coordinated working of both the institutions. — A single anti-corruption agency may be created at the federal level with administrative and financial autonomy. Such an agency should be protected from political influence. — There should be an accountability system for all in which the accountability agency enjoys itself political and operational independence to investigate even the highest levels of political and bureaucratic functionaries. This system must exercise its powers in conformity with the international human rights norms and be accountable to the law of the land. The NAB which has been entrusted with the task of investigating and prosecuting corruption falls short of the above criterion to some extent. The transparency of its (NAB) prosecution has increasingly been called to question for being selective as the excesses of the military and the judiciary have by and large, been ignored by the Bureau. In some isolated cases, the Bureau’s investigation methods have also been reported in the national press as a violation of the standard human rights norms. These perceptions need to be rectified, if the accountability process is to gain credibility and transparency. — Proper legislation regarding Whistle Blower and Right to Information need to be done because there is a broad consensus on the importance of these laws in enhancing transparency and accountability, which is important to reduce opportunities for corruption. — Setting up of IT-based One Window Operation system in all the federal government departments should be ensured to make the service delivery process transparent and convenient to the general public. — Mass media campaigns should be run for public awareness in the fight against corruption. — Curbing the tendency of extra secrecy and classifications of government documents, decisions and policies. — Introduction of the mechanism of time limits for service delivery for government departments which are responsible for provision of services and utilities to the public. — Establishment of vigilance units within government departments. — Cabinet Secretariat, Establishment Division and Finance Division should carry out comprehensive civil service reforms to have a motivated, performance driven and professional civil service.
