And sacred cows
The PPP has been concerned about a few things for a while now, especially since the Karachi operation expanded its scope from militancy to corruption. Even when proceedings were limited to controlling political militias and gang wars, PPP leaders would betray clear agitation whenever the matter of financial corruption came up. And the high command went into a tail spin when Dr Asim was picked up and it became clear that financial excesses – which naturally include PPP’s – had finally become fair game.
Khurshid Shah and Raza Rabbani’s calculated outbursts the other day – that corruption was not limited to politicians and bureaucracy and military should also be included – indicate how the party has decided to posture to counter the pressure. This matter is graver than other pressing concerns – that the party is still in shambles since the ’13 rout, for example – since party big wigs stand to lose a lot. There is, however, more than a little truth in the remarks of the Senate chairman as well as the National Assembly opposition leader. Accountability does need to be wholesome. And now that the establishment has obviously decided to take this particular bull also by the horns, there needs to be a proper working mechanism to ensure there are no sacred cows, as Rabbani said.
Yet this strategy is a double-edged sword, at best, for PPP. If the party were so aware of the need for reforms, and across-the-board accountability, why did it not initiate such proceedings during its tenure? True, their government was under pressure from numerous corners, but that should not have prevented it from engaging with other political parties to work out a legal, binding accountability mechanism. It had other concerns, of course, during its landmark five-year term. Even now, instead of tilting towards confrontation, it should engage with authorities. Political parties must agree on the preferred methodology, then the process of accountability should be allowed to run its course without complaints and provocations.
