Accountability partners

It is an open secret that the United Kingdom has long been a favoured destination for Pakistan’s elite to park their untaxed and unreported wealth – some of it obtained through corruption and other illicit means. Even multiple amnesty schemes – the most recent ending in July – have only brought a small percentage of that wealth into the tax net. The only way an amnesty can work is if those who are guilty of money laundering and evading taxes genuinely fear that the authorities will come after them should they not declare that money. Given the popularity of London as the destination of choice for the corrupt elite, it makes sense for the government to focus its anti-corruption efforts on the UK. And it appears to be doing just that with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid announcing last week that they will work together on the return of Pakistani assets, and combating money-laundering. The announcement seems to have been timed to coincide with the arrest just a day later of Farhan Junejo, a close aide of the late Makhdoom Amin Fahim, and his wife. Junejo had been accused of laundering Rs250 million and implicated in a number of corruption scandals. His arrest is the result of a joint investigation between the International Corruption Unit of the UK’s National Crime Agency and our own National Accountability Bureau and Federal Investigative Agency. This shows that there is plenty of scope for cooperation should the government have the will to go after the influential political, business and industrial elite that has parked its wealth abroad.

No one would argue against a partnership with the UK to bring back stolen money but a word of caution is due. Pakistan does not have an extradition treaty with the UK and any decision to extradite Pakistani individuals who are accused of corruption and other crimes will only be done on a case-by-case basis by the British government. That means we need to have solid proof before demanding the extradition of any individual or the seizure of their property. Even judgments by our courts will not be sufficient should the British government believe the cases were politically motivated. That puts the onus on the PTI government to break with the past and not use accountability as a code word for political revenge. If it only goes after its opponents, it may find cooperation from foreign countries is withheld. True accountability will be needed if we are to get back the money that was stolen from the state.