PTI has always been vocal against all forms of corruption and it remains one of the most important parts of its manifesto that it would end corruption in Pakistan. Recently Panama leaks have exposed the large scale corruption by Nawaz Sharif and his family. Though most good Pakistani people would like him to resign but NS wants to cling to power as has been the typical psyche of previous rulers. PTI and other opposition are demanding that an impartial commission holds inquiry into corruption by NS and his family. This is also the demand of most Pakistani citizens that an inquiry has to be held into business activities of NS and his family so as to know whether they have conducted their business affairs legally or illegally and to what extent they have done corruption in their business affairs.
However PTI should use this opportunity of Panama leaks crisis to strengthen the institutions of the country against corruption by making demands for structural reforms of the anti-corruption bodies in the country. We recall, just about a month before Panama leaks crisis, corrupt NS wanted to cut wings of NAB since NAB had started to point towards large scale corruption by his cabinet and his relatives in making of LNG terminals to import liquified gas from Qatar.
This LNG terminals affair might have been a very planned corruption since any sincere and earnest leader of Pakistan would have built IP gas pipeline from where gas could be sourced at cheapest rates considering all different expenses so there was a greater economic feasibility of the IP gas pipeline project. The project could be completed in a short time as Iran had built their side of the pipeline and we could extend a pipeline to Sui where it could be linked to existing gas pipeline network of the country. The only excuse was that Iran remains under sanctions but why could a NATO member Turkey freely import gas from Iran while we could not since our government was far less sincere to our country Pakistan and far more sincere to find out ways to make corruption.
Now NS repeatedly inaugurates TAPI pipeline which has no economic feasibility when compared to IP pipeline. Most Pakistanis smell that this is another opportunity by NS and company to make corruption in the future. TAPI pipeline is a project too ahead in future. Iran has already built their side of the pipeline so why do you not do a little bit of work and connect that pipeline to existing pipeline network. Iran Pakistan pipeline is easier, less costly, more secure as it does not have to pass through Taliban controlled ares in Afghanistan and it can be completed years earlier. If NS were sincere to Pakistan, they would have completed IP pipeline but then how would close relatives of NS embezzle billions of rupees in making of another longer pipeline in far flung, unsecure, remote areas with mountain terrain and embezzle billions more like they did when they made LNG terminals on the Arabian sea. The government says we will also build IP pipeline some time later. We are not a very rich country and we cannot afford this generous 'ShehanShah' attitude towards pipelines. We want to build just one pipeline that is very right for Pakistan and has greatest economic feasibility from all different perspectives.
If the government thinks that there was no corruption as they always like to trumpet after making corruption, they must explain here and before rest of the Pakistani people why were LNG terminals and later TAPI pipeline preferred over more economically feasible IP pipeline. Why could we not build IP pipeline and make an agreement to import gas from Iran on similar terms like Turkish people have done with Iran. I am sure Turkish people thought very well about interests of their country when they made an agreement and set all its terms to import gas from Iran and why could we not model our agreement to import gas from Iran like Turkish-Iran agreement.
So when we see that the present government does not let go of the corruption opportunities and when NAB and other Pakistanis cry foul, NS starts to get angry and makes his intent clear that he will make laws to limit powers of NAB to investigate such things. My purpose of writing here is that TI and other sincere opposition parties should take this opportunity to force restructuring of NAB as a totally independent body with a thorough mandate to investigate any government or private corruption. It would be free to investigate corruption by IK or NS and other citizens starting first from the government office bearers.
Government must not be allowed to choose the head of NAB. There should be a eight members governing body with two members chosen from each of the stakeholders like government, opposition, Judiciary and Pakistan Army. The total number of governing body could be increased but keeping the ratio of representation of each stakeholder the same. In such a case if there is a corruption, it will be known to each pillar of the state and it would be impossible to hide it. This governing body will have the right to choose the head of NAB or possibly remove him under very strict conditions when some wrongdoing has been proven.
NAB would have every authority to investigate any citizen of Pakistan and after NAB has investigated the case, it will openly publish the report for citizens of Pakistan to view it and make their intelligent opinion after reading and discussing the report. The case will then go to courts formed under special authority of supreme court where decision will be made whether or how to punish the corrupt party in speedy but just trials.
A lot of other common sense changes could be made to above structure of NAB and its agenda in order to ensure that every government or private citizen who commits corruption is punished appropriately. It is my appeal to Tehreek-e-Insaf and other parties to take maximum benefit from the present Panama leaks crisis in order to strengthen the foundations of Pakistan and its institutions. If we let go of this opportunity, the reign of corruption set loose by NS and company will start again in Pakistan and the only people to lose would be citizens of Pakistan who want to live here forever while corrupt people and their children will simply go abroad and live there as is the common practice.
Source:
https://defence.pk/threads/for-ns-s...ik-accountability.428811/page-5#ixzz481dQWqY6
