A perception of system being under threat

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Editorial
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Is the establishment flexing its muscle?

The MQM was the first to complain that the establishment was pressurising its loyalists to turn approvers in avowedly false cases instituted against Altaf Hussain. Also that establishment was indulging in a media trial of the party chief to enforce its ‘minus one’ formula. Months later the PPP too started complaining that the Rangers and NAB were pressurising a number of people like Dr Asim Hussain to act as approvers against its top leadership. Now the PML-N also suspects that the NAB probe in corruption cases in Punjab could in fact be the thin edge of the wedge. It is worrisome that the party in power, along with two major opposition parties, is accusing the establishment of foul play.

The perception has led the Prime Minister to threaten to clip the NAB’s wings. It has evoked an equally strong reaction from Shahbaz Sharif who has questioned why NAB was continuing to ignore scandals involving billions of rupees that surfaced under a military ruler. Ch Nisar, who has otherwise shown little sympathy for MQM, has rejected out of hand the demand for the formation of a judicial commission to probe charges levelled by former Karachi Nazim Mustafa Kamal as according to him these were no more than unsubstantiated claims. Under the circumstances, the complaint of foul play cannot be dismissed as a mere figment of imagination.

Any extraneous intervention in political system justified in the name of introducing improvements which give birth to widespread apprehensions can turn out to be disastrous. The system contains checks and balances which are expected to keep the aberrations by the political parties, whether ruling or in opposition, under control. That said, there is also a need on the part of the government and the opposition parties to let the institutions concerned including NAB to work freely and independently. The institutions on their part are expected to act transparently, eschew recourse to partisanship or measures that cause harassment.

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3 COMMENTS

  2. Chor ki dari me tinka. No threat to anyone. Only the Corrupts have to fear. So far the Rangers were busy at 90, PPP in Sind was relexing. But once the Rangers touched PPP's houses of corruption, they started to agitate. This is what is happening in Punjab now. Fear not, if you are not involved in any sort of Corruption. This department was created for controlling Corruption and by the Paliament ! Check them where they cross the Red-line but let them perform..

  3. Neutral suggests to Punjab leaders “Fear not, if you are not involved in any sort of Corruption”.

    I will go a step further and suggest to Punjab leaders “Fear not even if your are involved in corruption; which you are, and in a big way.”

    I say this because the progress so far clearly shows that when it comes to corruption, the powers that be are most likely to use overwhelming force against the weak province, Sindh, narrowing it further down perhaps to the weakest party in Sindh: Dr. Asim Hussain.

    Karachi

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