- Who is to blame for NAB’s ‘black law’?
While agreeing that it is vital to hold elections on time, there is a need on the part of all stake holders that include political parties to ensure that nothing is done to delay them. The petitions against the delimitation of constituencies could have been decided well before the polls if the census had not been delayed inordinately by the PML-N government. One would also concede that free and fair elections require a level playing field. But political leaders cannot claim immunity from law if they indulge in activities considered illegal. During the 2013 elections the TTP specifically targeted the PPP, ANP and MQM, conducting terrorist attacks on their leaders and activists thus depriving them of level playing field. Nawaz Sharif didn’t protest. With PML-N in power and free to contest elections, Sharif’s removal from party leadership and disqualification may not be considered ‘pre-empted rigging’ by impartial observers.
Accountability should, however, not only be equal for all but also seen to be so. There is a need on the part of the judiciary to ensure that a perception is not created that some of the political leaders are more equal than others. This does not however mean that judiciary should be indulging in balancing acts. The judiciary, however, should not be seen to be too soft in some cases and too hard in others.
There is no doubt that NAB’s performance under its present pro-active chief stands in strong contrast to the previous chairman’s. But this may not be altogether unwelcome. If there are flaws in NAB’s mandate. The PML-N government had enough time to remove them after it took over in 2013. While signing the CoD both PPP and PML-N had vowed to introduce a just system of accountability. None showed any interest in the exercise after coming to power. Both were only interested in having an accountability chief of their choice or one who would not proceed against either of them. If NAB as visualised by Mushrraf is still there, the PPP and PML-N have to share the blame for it.
