Daily Times

It seems that Pakistan is on its way to witness another round of political ping-pong as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) jockeys against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on allegations of corruption, as revealed by the Panama Papers.

PTI chief, Imran Khan, cannot, however, be blamed for wishing to establish accountability in the country. The abysmal state of accountability in Pakistan is secret to none. While documents leaked from a Panamanian law firm early this year sent watchdog agencies scrambling around the world, Pakistan has not yet investigated those accused of investing in offshore companies. A continual delay by the administration in initiating a comprehensive enquiry into the issue has further fuelled the ongoing war of words between the leadership of the two parties. The authorities should be appreciated for announcing a tolerant environment that would facilitate the PTI workers in holding their protest rally. Although some isolated remarks by PML-N officials do accuse Khan of destabilising the country every now and then, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has also not yet jumped on the ‘tough line’ bandwagon by keeping his distance from adversarial politics. Such developments do signify that after years of political turmoil, Pakistan’s young democratic legacy is finally showing first signs of maturity.

However, Sharif’s administration needs to accomplish much more than merely allowing its opposition to protest against itself. The previously stalled negotiations over drawing up a judicial commission should now be re-commenced so that the much-hyped Panama scandal can be resolved once and for all. Had the prime minister’s family stepped forward to be probed before others named in the revelations, the party would have surely set a phenomenal accountability trend in Pakistan’s political history. On top of ensuring a thorough investigation against all public officials accused of financial misconduct, this initiative would also have remarkably helped the PML-N win unprecedented popularity in the country. Since Mr Sharif has not yet personally intervened to offer a sensible solution, political tensions continue to escalate on all sides.

It is also being said that considering the harsh rhetoric between Islamabad and New Delhi, which has heated up in the wake of the attack in Uri in the Indian-held Kashmir, Khan should reconsider the timing of his rally. Those apprehensive about the impact of this march on eclipsing Pakistan’s stand against the ongoing atrocities in Kashmir are not entirely wrong in their fears. Both the parties should keep in mind all consequences of their every move on the Kashmir issue. Nevertheless, the united front demonstrated by the political elites in Pakistan against the violence in the valley substantiates that any campaigns that undermine the Kashmir cause would most likely not be carried out. The trouble is that in addition to its increasingly strained ties with India, Pakistan does not enjoy any significant allies in the region. Its relations with Afghanistan are still hanging by a thread, even more grievously impacted by frequent terrorism and perfidious allegations by Afghan officials. Pakistan has not made true peace with Bangladesh ever since 1971, and experiences a rather rocky relationship with its former constituent. Hence, Pakistani administration should at least try to establish order on its domestic front to ensure that it does not drop into utter turmoil. *