It seems as if a random opinion piece now can be considered a validated source by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to initiate a probe if it is against the former Prime Minister (PM) Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif or any other Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader. What else could be a worse example of mockery than the National Accountability Bureau’s(NAB) recent response to its own statement? NAB accused the former PM of sending $4.9 billion to India for money laundering on the basis of an accusation in an opinion piece published in a newspaper referring to a World Bank (WB) report. According to the NAB statement, the chairman of the bureau took notice of media report which made the claims citing the WB report. However, WB clarified that it’s Remittances and Migration Report does not mention money laundering or name individuals. State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has also refuted the claim in the NAB statement, saying the estimates showed in the WB report were based on ‘assumptions’ which did not reflect reality. However, the NAB chairman has refused to bow down, saying NAB has to take action on every report or clue related to corruption. While speaking at a ceremony in Peshawar on Thursday, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal said, “the watchdog will continue to probe corruption cases in accordance with the law and the constitution, asserting that days of the ‘untouchable’ are over and that no one is above the law. It is better that those who have been thinking that they are untouchable should clear this misunderstanding. They can be asked questions, they can be nabbed and they can also be prosecuted as per the law. NAB remains undeterred in the face of criticism triggered this week after it took notice of a newspaper article based on a report and announced to investigate whether former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was involved in sending $4.9 billion to India.” The general public needs to know if NAB is allowed to slander Pakistani citizens through press releases At a press conference on Thursday, Nawaz told NAB Chairman Justice (r)Javed Iqbal to present proof of the money laundering allegation against him within 24 hours or if fails to present evidence, then publicly apologise to the nation and resign. He said “It has been proven now how the head of an institution [NAB] has made my media trial a mission, and the severity of the allegations cannot be ignored.” PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has also taken serious notice of the issue, and called for a special committee of the parliament to investigate the matter. This has caused some controversy in the National Assembly. Regardless, what the NAB statement reflects is the mind-set behind the on-going ‘accountability’ against the PML-N leadership. While it is true that nobody should be ‘untouchable’ when it comes to accountability, the general public needs to know if NAB is allowed to slander Pakistani citizens through press releases. Defending himself on the allegation of Mian Nawaz Sharif’s $4.9 billion money laundering has created doubts on the accountability drive of the NAB that is becoming unaccountable itself. NAB authorities should keep in mind that they too are not untouchable or unaccountable to the people of Pakistan. They need to be more transparent and steadfast in their moves and mechanisms while performing their duties. Even an ordinary Pakistani knows that every bit of effort is being done to disintegrate and dismantle the democratic power of PML-N before the forthcoming elections. No need to cite the reasons for this campaign against the consistently strengthening democracy in Pakistan. Some five years back, the PPP faced the same ironic situation while it was unable to run its election campaign due to hatred created against its leadership. The same tactics are being repeated again. The Attack on Federal Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal is the result of this strategy. It is proven well known that those who have been a part of such malicious campaigns against politicians in the past have had an agenda against democracy. Taking the right and justified action against the culprits and misappropriations is the mandate of the accountability institutions. Defaming politicians by hook or by crook cannot hide the invisible agenda they are serving intentionally or intentionally. If cursing Mian Nawaz Sharif is in vogue today, someone else will be in his position tomorrow, and it could be one of the accountability authorities as well. The writer is an Islamabad-based policy advocacy, strategic communication and outreach expert. He can be reached at devcom.pakistan@gmail.com. He tweets @EmmayeSyed Published in Daily Times, May 12th 2018.