The first thing that needs to be asked about the can of worms that former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General (DG) Bashir Memon is why now, just after Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s reference has been decided in his favour. Surely it is a little odd that he picked this time to come out with what he claims is the unadulterated truth behind the government’s alleged obsession with removing the Supreme Court justice. Now why wouldn’t this be interpreted as an attempt to push the government into a corner, much to the benefit of the principal opposition parties – namely PPP and PML-N? If what he claims is indeed true, and the highest office of the land was pushing him to initiate proceedings against opposition leaders as well as a Supreme Court judge, then didn’t his oath of office mandate corrective measures on his part there and then? The PM and his aides that Memon pointed to have all rubbished his claims as baseless, quite as expected, but this is not where the matter should simply be handed over to popular media to debate the life out of it. It should, instead, be investigated at the highest level. Memon led the inquiry against the PPP leadership in the fake accounts case, and as FIA’s DG he started cases against a number of high-profile individuals, so what he’s said should at least be given the litmus test of a judicial inquiry. PTI should look forward to such an opportunity because not only has its name been maligned but it was this party that made so much noise about self-accountability when it was in opposition. Best, then, to let the law take its course if it really wants to silence all its critics. There’s still something to be said about an FIA head meeting with the prime minister. As the DG of the lead investigating agency, isn’t it part of the job to report about important cases to the chief executive of the country? And even though the PM denies ever talking about the Faez Isa case with Memon, it does not change the fact that the PM being briefed about an inquiry that concerns the country’s future chief justice ought to be pretty much a routine matter. This matter should be put to rest as soon as possible and the quickest and most effective way of doing it is to investigate it transparently so the whole country can know the truth. *