Accountability

The inclusion of 172 people, including PPP chairpersons Asif Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, on the Exit Control List after a JIT report accused them of involvement in the fake accounts case being heard by the Supreme Court is playing out similarly to other such recent cases, including those of the Sharifs. The PTI has taken the JIT report as proof of corruption, while the PPP is claiming victimisation. However, a JIT report, no matter how convincing, is not in itself proof of guilt. We must look to trials that are argued in court and not via the media.

The allegations contained in the JIT report are certainly explosive, giving details of what, if proven, would amount to tens of billions of rupees in money laundering. It also implicates not just the biggest names in the PPP but also a large chunk of the business elite and political appointees. If the report holds up under judicial scrutiny, it would represent the largest corruption case in our history. The PPP has reacted aggressively against the report with Bilawal calling it ‘lies and a sham’; the PTI, in the meanwhile, has demanded the resignation of the Sindh chief minister.

The most prudent course of action is to leave it to the courts to sort out the legal merits of the case. The JIT report, though, will have significant political ramifications too. In his speech marking Benazir Bhutto’s 11th death anniversary, Bilawal pointedly referenced how weak the federation’s foundations are right now. The implication seemed to be that the anti-corruption drive is specifically targeting politicians from Sindh. While that accusation may be overblown, the opposition has been insistent that the government has weaponised the National Accountability Bureau to target its political opponents. Charing the first meeting of the Public Accounts Commission on Friday, Shahbaz Sharif – himself facing corruption cases – said that NAB is tough on some politicians but lenient on others. In our political past, accountability has been selective. Which is why this government – if it is indeed serious about recovering looted wealth – needs to be as tough on itself as it is on others. It also needs to respect the legal process and not jump to conclusions. Should it not do so, it will just give credence to the opposition’s complaints of victimisation, and further divide the country at a time when it is facing multiple political, economic and security challenges.