- SC takes notice
NAB’s (National Accountability Bureau) inconsistency has become so apparent that even the honourable Supreme Court has had to take notice, which says a lot. Charges that have traditionally been slapped on the Bureau by opposition politicians allegedly victims of witch hunts, especially since the new administration took office, are now being echoed by the highest court of the land. Frustration on the part of the SC that NAB has become selective in its approach to cases can seriously hurt the accountability drive so cherished by the government. Worse still, the charge that NAB is being politicised is serious indeed, and unless a marked improvement is clearly seen in its performance, the opposition will now get another stick to beat the government silly with.
Whether or not it is politicised, there can be no denying that its performance leaves a lot to be desired. Also, as rightly observed by the court, the Bureau seems to have developed a habit of arranging plea bargains. That even SC judges questioned if NAB has ever made any recoveries ought to be embarrassing for the Bureau as well as the entire anti-corruption drive.
The government does not help, of course, by taking clear anti-opposition positions. PPP’s Saeed Ghani cannot be faulted for pointing out that PTI’s senior ministers seem to make announcements that should come from FIA or NAB. There’s also the pretty clear fact that PTI bigwigs that were on the Bureau’s radar are not exactly being hounded like their opposition counterparts. The same can be said of the few former military personnel investigated by it. NAB must urgently bring more uniformity and discipline in its proceedings. If it has little credibility with the masses as well as the courts, there’ll be little effectiveness in its outlook. Hopefully it will not need another dressing down from senior judges.