JIT must avoid making itself controversial

Preparing the report by due date should be the priority

On Thursday Nawaz Sharif earned the unenviable distinction of being the first Pakistani premier ever to be interrogated by a JIT. Addressing party supporters who had gathered outside the JIT office, the PM said he had accounted for every penny. Despite a display of confidence he seemed to be prepared for every eventuality. He said he would “tell more in coming days” and gave more importance to public opinion than to JIT findings. “There is a JIT of public where all political parties have to present themselves next year and that JIT will take final decision.”

It is ironical that political leaders alone are held accountable in this country. Ayub Khan pushed the country into war in 1965 sacrificing all the gains made by the country’s economy. The basis of East Pakistan’s separation was laid under his centrist rule. Yahya Khan presided over the separation of East Pakistan and the military debacle. Zia lost Siachin and joined hands with the US to train jihadi groups who were to metamorphose into present day terrorists. Musharraf provided bases to US besides violating the constitution. None of them faced accountability. Politicians were debarred from politics under EBDO for 8 years. Bhutto was hanged through an act of judicial engineering. During Nawaz Sharif’s second tenure, Benazir and Zardari were awarded punishment through a servile court till they were exonerated by the SC which found “bias floating all over the judgment”. Meanwhile Benazir was made to move from court to court and finally hounded out of Pakistan.

Some of the JIT’s activities are making it controversial. The leakage of Hussain Nawaz’s photo raised many eyebrows. Withholding the identity of the person responsible gave birth to more questions. The JIT’s report on so-called social media distractions is seen by some as wastage of time and resources while at places the report is frivolous. One wonders if surveillance of witnesses is one of JIT’s tasks. Activities of the sort distract the JIT from its real objective which is preparing the inquiry report by the first week of July.