The fears expressed by ousted prime minister Imran Khan have been correct. The PML-N has hinted on dissolving the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to stop proceedings on all corruption cases and references against its leaders who have now assumed power.
Just days after gaining control, PML-N stalwart Shahid Khaqan Abbasi lambasted NAB chairman and vowed to hold its employees accountable. The party had deplored the nexus between the previous government and anti-graft watchdog for the past three years and has now come down completely to call for disbanding the agency.
As he was being removed from office, Imran Khan had claimed that the joint opposition want to oust him so they can defang NAB to protect their looted wealth and get away with corruption. The power of NAB and its ability to file references before investigating had created a clash between PML-N and PTI.
When the PTI came to power, Imran Khan had claimed the accountability bureau would expose Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharif’s corruption to the public. However, the inability to hold any PML-N leader guilty in the past years not only impacted the PTI’s promises but also raised accusations of a politically-motivated witch hunt targeting opposition members.
The rift deepened when the PTI government enacted the NAB Ordinance 2019 which handed over powers to remove NAB chairman to the president. The PML-N has always claimed the NAB chief had a personal vendetta against their leaders. It repeatedly calls for clipping the wings of the bureau to investigate cases below Rs500 million, reducing remands, reopening enquires and issuing statements.
Many PML-N leaders are facing corruption cases and are on bail. Even PM Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza are named in a money laundering case and are expected to be indicted this month. Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal and Khawaja Saad are also facing corruption references and have been granted bail. The indication to dissolve NAB suggests they are making efforts to escape accountability for themselves.
There is no denying that NAB has several shortcomings and has failed to live up to the expectation. It has often been a tool of the political elite to settle scores. However, rather than dissolving the bureau, it requires serious reforms. The new government should not settle its scores before it wreaks havoc and undermine the justice system.
