Hold’em all accountable
Accountability with disregard to rank is the hallmark of progressive and mature democracies. Setting up justice as a baseline brings credibility and authenticity to the government of the time. Only a nascent, delinquent political set up would avoid such fundamental an institution as this. In other words, how is one supposed to deliver any social, political or welfare service when the entire system is jeopardised by the designs of a few, and the cardinal rules of justice, impartiality and fair play cease to exist.
Across the board accountability in Pakistan is unheard of but a step in the right direction has just been taken. The defence ministry has announced constituting a full court against three former military generals and their dealings in the running of National Logistics Cell (NLC). These three generals, in cohorts with the civilian officers, set back the national kitty a jolt of 1.8 billion rupees – a loss that was not a design of nature but an intentional financial fraud, inept administration and the greed to gain kickbacks. It seems only prudent to take them to task for what they have done to a national asset.
On a relevant note, the military and defence ministry need be praised for their historic decision to set up a court for high ranking military officers. What seems like a stark difference is the fact the political government did not deal with the issue at the same wave length. Not only did it let the issue burn out on its own, it also sort of flamed it by giving extension to one of the civilian officers involved in the issue, creating beef between the PAC chairman and the PM, which ultimately resulted in being one of the reasons why the former wants to resign from his post.
The present government has perhaps given a new meaning to a common phrase that “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.” It seems to defy logic, laws of the land, and public opinion by not doing what it should do in the first place: good governance. It has become habitual of devising stopgap solutions to every issue, a trend that needs to be checked immediately. A proper and equivalent action in the NLC issue would be the best way to break this habit, and could lay down a precedent leading towards a proper framework for the future. A tough calling, but perfectly doable.
