Spotlight: Plea to Prime Minister for ‘taking people on board’ goes abegging on many issues! Playing games with crucial NAB appointment!

A recent headline reporting about high profile corruption cases reads: “More than 1,000 cases pending as enquiries put on hold”. And just why is this vital matter on ice and what is involved? The report provides the answer as follows: “The absence of a chairman for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has forced the bureau to freeze further investigations of 1,200 corruption cases involving billion of rupees”. Initial reports have been prepared by the NAB we are informed, but no references can be filed in the Accountability Courts for further action as that requires the NAB Chairman’s permission. Sounds familiar from good old PPP period?

Supreme Court’s lament

Supreme Court’s often repeated lament about lack of progress in the absence of NAB Chairman in high profile cases involving billions siphoned away by the high and mighty is quite familiar to our ears. The PPP government under Zardari was least pushed about filling this important position and when it did, it tried to ensure that the incumbent would play the ordained tune. Exasperated by the delay CJP Chaudhry had suggested involving a member of the Judiciary in the selection process so that in case of a tie or deadlock between the government and the opposition the member from the Judiciary could cast the decisive vote.

Grossly misdirected blame It will be recalled that in its constantly ongoing campaign against the Supreme Court President Zardari’s PPP government used to blame the Court of partiality in (as alleged by it) only pursuing cases against PPP leaders and high functionaries while not proceeding against Nawaz Sharif in cases in which he and his family were accused. The fact of the matter is that opening and pursuing cases is the prerogative of the Government which under President Zardari kept dithering in the matter by either letting the position of NAB Chairman lie vacant (without whose orders cases could not be moved or followed up) or by appointing such a person to the position who would toe the government line. And why was the PPP government dragging its feet in pursuing cases against Nawaz Sharif and family while blaming the SC for it? Well the theory which offers an explanation says that this was an arrangement between the two leading political parties to let each other off the hook. Is that the reason why the newly-elected PML-N government is also not keen to quickly appoint someone to the position?

SC decision on Chaudhry Nisar’s complaint It will also be recalled that former Admiral Fasih Bukhari (Retd) was removed as NAB chairman by the Supreme Court as long ago as May 28 as the appointment was declared illegal because meaningful discussion did not take place between the government and the opposition as is required by the procedure in force and on a complaint by the then opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar, Admiral Fasih Bukhari (Retd) the last incumbent was removed by the SC. Even otherwise it was considered to have been a politically motivated appointment, dubious in many other ways as well. The PPP government was not pushed about moving to fill the vacancy. And it seems neither is PM Nawaz Sharif! Nearly three months later today the appointment to this important position is still pending.

Juggling names to no purpose

We first heard about two names each being proposed for filling Chairman NAB’s vacancy by the two sides concerned. As expected there was deadlock. Former Justice Bhagwandas’s was one of the two names proposed by PPP. But he begged off at the very outset saying he was not interested. Also there was a constitutional lacuna to his appointment which would require an amendment to the Federal Public Service Commission Act. Yet his name was not withdrawn. Days and weeks passed. At one point the PM said he would discuss the matter with Khursheed Shah the opposition leader after returning from Umra. (“What is the hurry”!? Spotlight). Surprise, surprise it was Rana Bhagwandas’s name on which the two sides eventually agreed and consensus appeared to have been reached despite Rana Saheb’s refusal and the lacuna. More days and weeks passed and it was made known that the process was back to square one and former Justice Bhagwandas would not be a candidate after all! New names would be proposed afresh. PM Nawaz also discussed the subject (by the way?) when he visited the house of the opposition leader to condole the death of his sister.

People not being taken on board

We had made an impassioned plea (in the Spotlight column of 23 July 2013) to the PM to take people on board in respect of loadshedding and the steps he proposed to take towards eliminating it and the time frame planned. That plea still goes abegging and specific questions raised remain unanswered while the need to take people on board on a number of other issues as important as loadshedding – corruption, fighting terror, flood relief, poverty and starvation, to name a few – is just as urgent. The dilly-dallying with the appointment of NAB Chairman, the king pin for all moves to purge the country of corruption in high places, indicates that the present rulers like the previous ones may also be afraid of appointing an honest and upright person to the most important anti-corruption office. (owajid@yahoo.com)