FOR the last few years, opposition parties in the country have expressed their misgivings, albeit rightly, over the partial, politically motivated with-hunt carried out by anti-corruption authorities. Labeled an ‘accountability drive’, the design followed in bullying adversaries has become increasingly expectable. Politicians critical of the government are probed by the FIA and NAB, booked in cases —the main accusations being the misuse of authority or having assets beyond known sources of income — and swiftly apprehended.
The existing drive follows Imran Khan’s campaign promises in the 2018 election, when he swore to jail ‘corrupt people’ who had amassed billions abroad. But two years later, and particularly after this week’s on-record disclosure by recently retired FIA director general Bashir Memon, this accountability campaign is looking increasingly like a vendetta.
In a video interview, Mr Memon accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of forcing him to prosecute opposition leaders on grave charges though there was no proof to do so. He also said that Mr Khan wanted PML-N senior leader Khawaja Asif to be tried for sedition under Article 6 of the Constitution, and many members of the Sharif family to be booked in graft cases. Appallingly, he gave the impression that the NAB chairman was obliging similar requests by the government, and had followed cases that Mr Memon had protested against. Although a few days have passed since his claims, the government has issued no clarification in this regard.
Mr Bashir’s statement lends credence to what the opposition parties have been saying for quite some time: that the current accountability drive is a toxic campaign camouflaged as a pursuit for justice. Mr Memon’s accusations should come as an eye-opener for courts dealing with many of the anti-graft cases involving not just Sharif family but all individuals targeted in this drive. The government must not only issue an immediate response to his charges to explain what occurred, it must also do some introspection on the serious and enduring damage such a well-orchestrated campaign can have on the public’s trust in the system as well as the injustice towards those trapped in the accountability net on fabricated charges.
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