To be honest a group of folks can never achieve nothing. It's like saying this DC is exceptional, could be but there's a probability that out of 99.99% men in civil service may be he had a functional Grey area however honesty is also subjective .
No doubt there are good people but they can be replaced by bad ones in no time but the system remains in effect and is difficult to change. You know those notorious bargainings coming into play even if the change stands for public good.
I partially agree with your post, but only the philosophical element. Not the realities of NAB as I know them, albeit from second hand sources. This grey area we’re talking about in my estimation is perhaps a little too grey for even the grey elements we see normally in Pakistani institutions and society.
And I believe that NAB’s true functioning can legitimately be taken over by FBR and some other financial crimes bureau like SECP. NAB as it currently is, is a tool for political flexing. In most other countries, we’d see this as gross violation of democracy, not just another grey area to be ignored, or incrementally improved.
I partially agree with you but same could be referred to the controllable anti corruption besides there's a radical difference between the composition and function of both. One is appointed by the political elite and directly answers to that same people, nab's hierarchy is also appointed by the electables but then it turned into a completely independent org like judiciary per law with a modest inclination to the separation of power doctrine. There conduct may be right or wrong but the Elite has to maintain a civilized facade of letting it go Scott free . Poor losers are carrying a democratic tradition of the Blondes established by a so called military dictator, kuch keh b nahi sakty, chup reh b nahi sakty
Now my assertion is that when babu run accountability orgs like anti corruption, FIA, fbr and a plethora of others constituted to accommodate osd's have been put up with for indulging in the same vices then why only defang nab?
I hear what your saying but I don’t think you fully understand my objection to NAB in particular. It’s not that they aren’t capable of good, or that other departments are infallible.
When a mafia roams town at the behest of whoever is boss, sure, once they racketeer, profiteer, break some limbs, and demand protection money. They might also provide security and other neighbourhood services. They might even do some honest to God work once in a while. But they were made with other intentions by an illegitimate authority, and their conduct is selective.
In effect, NAB are not operating to curb corruption, but to crackdown on those who are deemed political undesirables. It’s almost inconsequential that they’re an accountability bureau, they may as well operate as goons with sticks in order to achieve the intended illegitimate goal.
Furthermore, the cases they are building right now include people who’ve subsequently been discharged as no case could be built. Hence we have a bureau, that selectively targets based on political influence (violation of both integrity of NAB and democratic freedoms), but it then wastes also it’s own resources punishing or pressuring people who it has no business going after (violation of the individual’s rights AND also a violation of its own stated goals and objectives as an accountability bureau).
Point is, of all the institutions in Pakistan. This is one of the worst.
And unlike others such as FBR etc. They can and should be improved and cleaned. They are necessary for the state. NAB is not.
FBR equivalent here in the UK is HMRC and in the US it’s the IRS, SBP = BoE = Federal reserve, SECP (PK) = FCA = SEC. I can’t think of an equivalent for NAB though, this would at most be an apolitical, agenda free sub department of >one of the above. Please excuse the acronym bombardment, just trying to make a point.
The answer is plain and simple, the powers to be don't got no control over it. They've inherited a dragon but have no idea how to tame and ride it. Moreover if an anti corruption summon sends chilling sensation down the spine of a common man or a ranker then there must be someone in place to return the favor to the csp's and and feudal politicians as well. Furthermore If I were to be the chief justice nab would have been enjoying a perpetual constitutional protection like the judiciary with no room available for meddling in its structure and functions . a Tit for tat!
I disagree with your assessment here. If you knew the stories I know for fact, you would be utterly disgusted by nab, believe me.
Stories of honest people from modest backgrounds who ruffled a few feathers of the truly corrupt people who ironically and paradoxically, NAB serves instead of challenges. They detain you, they harass, ask for years worth of financial records and absurdity, they are hoping to pin something on you, on the basis of no-counter evidence.
Imagine this scenario; you were detained, assumed/asserted to be corrupt, and asked to produce last 5 years worth of bills, pay slips, expenditure, gas bills, school fees etc. They will operate their assumption of your guilt against habeas corpus and without ANY EVIDENCE. And if you failed to produce any of this, they’d hope to use this against you.
Some lucky individuals went through this harassment and produced everything. They were then given a court date without any case or explanation. Luckily our courts threw out the cases, being baseless and absurd.
But the corrupt scoundrel who put NAB to going after them, he got what he wanted. They were forced out of their organisations and corruption was allowed to go unchallenged.
This is what NAB does. I don’t know Shahid Khaqan Abbasi personally, but his story absolutely echoes the same that I have heard from people. In custody they treat people awfully, and some have died in their custody too.
Apologies for any spelling or grammar issues, I typed this up on mobile device.
