Daily Times

Chief Justice (CJ) of Pakistan Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali recently heard a petition of the Sindh government against the judgment of the Sindh High Court to hold the elections of mayor, deputy mayor, chairman and vice-chairman of the local councils through show of hands. He remarked that democracy despite its flaws must continue, and it was in the interest of strengthening democracy that the court despite having reservations about the 21st amendment made a compromise. One can hardly take an issue with what he said. The future of this country lies in democracy as the founding father, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, had also envisioned Pakistan as a democratic entity.

Most of the challenges that Pakistan is facing today, undoubtedly, are rooted in our inability to traverse the course chartered by Jinnah. The military dictators who pummelled the constitution and destroyed state institutions and the judiciary, which in turn legitimised the imposition of martial laws, authorising the dictators to play with the constitution, owe major responsibility for the crisis through which the country has had to pass and is confronted with at the moment. The politicians, undoubtedly, also played their part in not letting democracy take roots through politics of self-aggrandisement, perpetuating the colonial system of governance and participating in conspiracies against each other, orchestrated by praetorian powers.

However, it is gratifying to note that the judiciary of late has been playing a pro-active role in strengthening democracy and safeguarding the sanctity of the constitution. The establishment since 2008 when the country saw the exit of General Pervez Musharraf has also been supporting the continuation of the democratic dispensation. These are certainly good omens for the future of democracy in Pakistan provided they stay on course. However, it is regrettable to note that politicians have not learnt their lessons, and are still mired in the old style of politics, playing the role of a spoiler. The case in point is the rattling noise being made over the Panama leaks, especially by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The interesting thing about Panama leaks is that some anonymous source provided the documents to a German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, which then assigned the task of unravelling the contents to International Consortium Investigative Journalists. The Panama leaks, undoubtedly, have created quite a stir around the globe, including Pakistan, where the opposition parties are trying to capitalise on the opportunity to settle a score with government on the information revealed by an anonymous source. The point that is being conveniently overlooked is that the authors of the Panama leaks while giving details about the ownership of offshore companies cautioned: “We do not suggest that all this was done unlawfully or by illegal means.”

As is evident the leaks have not alleged any wrongdoing on the part of the owners of the offshore companies. So in the absence of credible evidence of wrongdoing, it is probably unfair to draw conclusions of one’s own choice. Of late, an alarming aspect of the Panama leaks, revealed by another famous agency, WikiLeaks, is that it is said to be orchestrated by the US Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, with the purpose to target Russia, particularly President Vladimir Putin. It further claims that the project was funded by US agency for International Development and George Soros Open Society Foundation. That indeed is a very damning revelation, if true, and provides an insight into how global powers manipulate the media to achieve their policy objectives or to create embarrassing situations for their competitors, with undesirable fallout for the unintended targets as well.

Nevertheless, in view of the noise being made by the opposition parties, government has already agreed to form a judicial commission. It would be advisable for the opposition to settle the differences on the formation of the commission with the government through a dialogue instead of trying to create a situation of confrontation, which the country can ill-afford at this juncture. The PTI in particular needs to revisit its strategy of achieving its political objectives through street protests. I think a section of media, which is in the forefront to rub in the notion of suspicious dealings by the Sharif family in regards to ownership of offshore companies, also needs to show more responsibility and refrain from playing a partisan role.

Nobody in his right mind could deny the fact that public figures and rulers are supposed to have an above board integrity, and any wrongdoing on their part cannot be tolerated or condoned. They must be held accountable for their actions if credible evidence exists or is made available about their illegal and immoral actions. But, at the same time, it is also important that caution be exercised to ensure that nobody is subjected to a witch-hunt on the basis of frivolous evidence.

For politicians, Pakistan should come first, and all their politics should revolve around this maxim. Yes, it is imperative to check the demon of all-pervading corruption in society, and among the echelons of government. That can be done through more reforms in the system of governance through an evolutionary process. There is no quick-fix solution to this festering problem. If the objective of the flak being hurled at government is really to see an end to corruption then the best course of action would be for all parliamentarians and political leaders to present themselves for accountability before a national corruption commission, which after the accountability of politicians and government must extend its investigations to armed forces, members of the judiciary and bureaucracy.

Instead of wasting time on things of the past, which are not going to serve any purpose going by our track record, it is time to focus on rebuilding Pakistan through collective efforts. It is a good opportunity for politicians to show their worth and loyalty to national well-being, as that must be their top priority.

The writer is a retired diplomat, a freelance columnist and a member of the visiting faculty of the Riphah Institute of Media Sciences, Riphah International University, Islamabad. He can be reached at ashpak10@gmail.com