It seems that General (retd) Pervaiz Musharraf either has support of some very powerful elements, or our banking system and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) are exceptionally incompetent at their jobs. It would not have been possible for the Rs3 million to have been withdrawn from his bank accounts otherwise. These accounts were supposed to be sealed on orders of an anti-terrorism court (ATC) that had declared Musharraf proclaimed offender in the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. It is unimaginable that an average proclaimed offender would have been able to access their bank accounts once these had been ordered sealed by the judicial authority. This isn’t the first instance where Musharraf seems to be enjoying privileges he shouldn’t have been granted in the first place. He also faces a treason trial, and despite that he manages to stay abroad, away from the long arm of the law. It is of utmost importance that the FIA probes the matter and fixes responsibility for oversight. Neither the assassination of Benazir Bhutto nor the treason trial are ordinary cases. These cases concern the very foundations of democratic governance in this country, and therefore, serve as benchmarks to assess the state of democracy. In short, one cannot have democracy take root in our polity until we have managed to take Musharraf’s trials to their logical conclusion. The retired military man must face consequences for his actions which had taken an immense toll on the country’s wellbeing, which is tied as it should be to democratic governance. This requires a proactive approach from the executive and judicial authorities concerned, and this isn’t something unimaginable. Though the Panama Papers case was nowhere as important, from a national and constitutional perspective, as the cases against Musharraf. However, we saw how quickly the proceedings were held and the verdict given since the authorities concerned had a clear focus on the matter. We expect these authorities to show similar resolve in cases against the former dictator as well so that a precedent can be set in both instances. The symbolic value of such an action alone will go a long way in course correction. Pakistan has lost several high profile leaders throughout its chequered history. No one has ever been held responsible. The state has an opportunity in delivering justice in the case of Benazir Bhutto. Similarly, no military dictator has ever been penalised for his blatant disregard for this country’s constitution. This must change now. * Published in Daily Times, January 17th 2019.