More equal than others

The recent debate on the reappointment of the NAB chairman for his imminent second term in office indicates how interested the incumbent government is in giving him an extension. This certainly gives credence to the narrative of political victimisation built by the combined opposition. Almost all the opposition leaders have suffered detentions and persecutions at the hand of anti-corruption watchdog, spanning more than six months, but most were acquitted by the courts of law on account of a lack of solid proofs against the accused. However, it seems that there is no accountability of the existing cabinet members for their wrongdoings. Is this the Naya Pakistan that the prime minister had campaigned for before being elected?

Another deplorable development is that the prime minister doesn't seem interested in any sort of constitutionally binding mutual consultations with the leader of the opposition on the appointment of the new chairman of NAB. The reason for this reluctance is that the opposition leader has been facing different references in the NAB, so he is deemed as having a conflict of interest in the matter. Such stubbornness is certainly not appreciable. It is the need of the hour to act wisely, and both sides must work to avoid any untoward political crisis.

Sajjad Khattak

Attock