PM has much to think about
Two issues raised by the opposition have found their place in the CJ’s reply to prime minister’s letter seeking the formation of a judicial commission. The CJ too thinks that any commission appointed under the 1956 Act would be toothless and useless. It is therefore necessary to form the commission under a new legislation. The CJ also thinks that the ToRs of the commission proposed by the government are so “wide and open” that “it may take years” for the commission to conclude the proceedings. The third issue that needs to be decided according to the CJ is the list of the individuals, families, groups or companies that are to be probed in the inquiry.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Khursheed Shah has called upon the ruling party to jointly formulate the ToRs with the opposition through talks between their respective committees. He has also asked the prime minister to come to the National Assembly on Monday, promising that the opposition would observe parliamentary decorum during his presence. He has demanded a live broadcast of the session to allow the people to judge for themselves the cases presented respectively by the government and the opposition and the performance of their elected representatives. These are constructive proposals that should be accepted.
The entire political class is in the line of fire over accusations of getting itself enriched at the expense of the man in the street. Unless it makes genuine efforts to remove the blot on its reputation, it runs the risk of promoting cynicism and thus making people lose confidence in the system. While the government’s legal team examines the implications of the CJ’s letter, the ruling party has to realize that any attempt to bypass a fair enquiry would further divide the country and lead to confrontation. Nawaz Sharif has to play a leading role instead of leaving the matter to legal experts, bureaucrats and loyalists with little understanding of the implications of the issue confronting the government