Daily Times

“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing” – Shakespeare: ‘Macbeth’

Pakistan’s political scene, whether inside the parliament or outside, is sprayed with the colours of a Shakespearian stage nearing the end of the play, littered with skeletons of a dying breed of elite refusing to give way.

In the wake of Imran Khan’s repeated vows to move effectively and indiscriminately against corruption and introduce a system of increased transparency, the reaction to Shehbaz Sharif’s arrest is a clear indication of the fear, of the long arm of law, reaching those who have manipulated the fate of the country for decades. The worst manifestation of this was witnessed, when a minister was refused the opportunity to speak about the brazen manner in which a member of the senate had virtually recruited his entire family, into a major public sector organisation. This was done in the name of the member’s privilege. I am amazed. It is the people of Pakistan who have an impeachable privilege to know how their so-called leaders have, plundered the state institutions and how it has impacted their potential to becoming stakeholders in their future. It is like turning the parliament into a sanctuary of the crooked and the criminal who would remain out of the reach of law and accountability.

The leader of the opposition’s arrest is being equated with an attack on democracy itself. It is forgotten that this person remains, by far, the most quintessential manifestation of a breed of lackeys that was delivered by the military into the political domain of the country. While manipulating the numbers during the course of the electoral process through expertise gathered over years of shrewd practising, the two brothers ruled through crass dictatorial proclamations rather than by assuming the role of leaders rooted in democratic dispensation.

Then there are voices for the need of indiscriminate and across-the-board accountability. Now, who is opposing that? Understandably, there are cases instituted against many members of the ruling party which are pending further action. Yes, these should be expedited, but this can’t be at the expense of not pursuing the cases that are registered against members sitting on the opposition benches, who have been part of the ruling elite during the previous years. The only credible benchmark should be; that everyone is held accountable before the law, irrespective of positions they may be holding, or may have held.

That does not appear to be the case. The former leader of the opposition from the Pakistan People’s Party(PPP), whose neck could be the next on the accountability block, is puking unceasing venom against the NAB and the incumbent government – this on behalf of a person whose candidature for the job of the prime minister, was not supported by his party only a few weeks ago. This is the ultimate that politics could degenerate to, where every shred of principle is rubbished, for ensuring continued political survival and relevance. A more appropriate and judicious approach would be to support the ongoing accountability process while demanding its indiscriminate application on all and sundry.

ut a blast is being blown in declaration of a war, which is at the core of all protestations one is hearing these days. This pertains to the passing of the old order and the advent of a new one which, sadly, is yet taking shape.

The sad history of the country bears testimony that accountability has never been a factor in its governance. On the contrary, the ones who ruled in the past considered themselves above the law. They ensured this by destroying the state institutions and appointing their cronies as the heads, who would deliver as directed. Lying, fabricating, fudging, forging, burning records of crime and complicity – all this was part of a grand mechanism to escape the clutches of law. That appears to be changing, ever so slowly though, but the old order does not give way easily and it is desperately accessing every plea and argument for its possible resurgence.

In making the transition to a new order where accountability would become a permanent, uninterrupted and uninterruptible feature to breed transparency, the calibre, efficiency and capacity of the concerned institution has emerged as a big question mark. The recent debacle in the context of the case against Nawaz Sharif is a serious point to ponder. It is a debacle both of the concerned institution’s capability and capacity to handle white-collar crimes as also its unquestioned willingness in doing so.

The other aspect that emerges is whether mild measures would do, or should there be a complete overhaul of the accountability mechanism before proceeding any further? I would be inclined to go for the latter option, but that would jeopardise the undertaking of any cases in the intermediary which could stretch to months, even years. That would be untenable. So, a more appropriate way would be to carry on with the accountability process together with undertaking steps for improving the conditions in the NAB, both in the realms of building its capacity and amending its governing charter, to make it more current and contemporary. The prime accountability institution in the country should be the very best that one can have.

But a blast is being blown in declaration of a war, which is at the core of all protestations one is hearing these days. This pertains to the passing of the old order and the advent of a new one which, sadly, is yet taking shape. It is this threat which is scaring the proponents of the old order to stretch their vocal chords to a deafening pitch to drown the voices of reason.

The old and the decrepit realise that their days may be numbered in carrying forth their mode and manner of governance. But, they refuse to reconcile as there are innumerable skeletons in the cupboards, they have left behind for which they have to be held accountable. It is this prospect which drives them to confrontation. Thus, the hydras of discrimination and privilege are being un-caged so that the cases of their loot and plunder could be buried beneath the rising crescendo of their noise.

The coming days will be witnessing an epic battle between the old order, which represents the stink of a past replete with sordid stories of loot and plunder, and the fledgling contours of the new one, which would be rooted in helping the country, pass into the realm of enhanced transparency and accountability.

This transition is an absolute must for the cause of genuine democracy, which would generate hope for the beleaguered and the marginalised communities of the country. Let everyone join hands in turning this burgeoning hope into reality.

The writer is a political and security strategist, and heads the Regional Peace Institute – an Islamabad-based think-tank. Email: raoofhasan@hotmail.com. Twitter: @Raoof Hasan

Published in Daily Times, October 9^th 2018.