Daily Times

One crucial aspect missing in the present accountability debate is whether the selective accountability of Sharifs promotes fairness in the society or being used as a strategic tool to advance entrenched interests through other means, while borrowing from Clausewitz. It also points to solidification of hold of non-political forces and change of balance of power.

One cannot deny that politics of patronage practiced in the political system that might very well have led to corrupt practices of politicians. However, why are only politicians being picked up for accountability? And even among the politicians, why only the Sharifs in particular? And why now as opposed to 25 years ago when this corruption might have taken place.

There is ample evidence that elite belonging to non-political forces have equally indulged in corruption, if not more. Non-political elites have not been held accountable for indulging in corruption or for abrogating the constitution over and over again. Even others under their direct and indirect patronage of the establishment have also been spared. Tons of material was found against AXACT. There was no need to even form a JIT to probe the matter as everything was out in the open. Yet, the prosecutor backed out and the main accused is out on bail. A television channel owned by the accused is up and running and continues to provide a seemingly biased coverage of national issues. A terrorist organisation has re-moulded itself as a political party and is going to contest elections rather than being held accountable for its terrorism despite immense international pressure. Even amongst the politicians, the political party head of PML-Q, which sided with a military dictator is not being made accountable despite the chatter that he might have been as corrupt as the Sharifs and might have gotten massive bank loans written-off.

Nawaz Sharif is insightful in calling for a new social contract in the country. Meanwhile, there is a dire need for an honest debate on the balance of power between the elected and non-elected institutions

It is very obvious that the present accountability drive against Sharifs is selective. Even if Sharifs are held fully accountable, it will not end corruption among the rest of non-political and political elite. This selective accountability will only enhance the hegemony of non-political forces through other means. This selective accountability is pursued in over-zealous manner by fixing timelines to a political case while millions of cases within the ambit of judicial apparatus awaiting adjudication. Do those millions of other citizens lesser mortals that their cases do not deserve as much micro-managed judicial oversight as a case against a political family does?

Nawaz Sharif is insightful in calling for a new social contract in the country. It might not be the kind of social contract he imagines. However, there is a dire need for honest debate on balance of power between the political and non-political forces in the country. If Nawaz Sharif’s rapprochement with India and Afghanistan has landed him in this soup of selective accountability, then there is need for honest public debate on who sets the foreign policy in Pakistan? What is permissible in the political realm and off-limit for politicians? Similarly, on terrorism, there is need for an honest debate. Non-political forces controlled most of Balochistan, FATA, Karachi and parts of KP and Punjab through conducting anti-terror operations, while they have been blamed internationally of playing a double game on fighting terrorism.

A new social contract in this ‘non-coup coup’ framework needs to be worked out. Political and non-political forces should debate and spell out their respective areas of jurisdiction. In the last over four years, we often kept on hearing that political and non-political leadership is on the same page. Selective accountability against Sharifs shows that it is not the case. Rather than keeping the new balance of power in post-Musharraf era under the wraps; it should be clearly spelled out, debated and agreed up by both the political and non-political forces. It would tremendously help to steer the country away from present political instability that is hugely undermining the development and rights of people in the country.

The writer works in the development sector in Islamabad. She has worked on peace and women rights issues as an activist in the past

Published in Daily Times, August 18^th 2017.