FROM A RINGSIDE SEAT

The National Assembly session was prorogued sine die without doing any significant legislation and its only achievement, if pleasing, was a call for ruthless accountability across the board to eliminate the widespread cancer of corruption to save the country.
Waqas Akram of Pakistan Muslim League (Q) who made the call with reference to a specific context, was a reflection of general behaviour of the country, marred with rampant corruption even pointed out by friends and foes alike. How powerful and strong corrupt mafia has become in the country Waqas Akram observed before presenting the probe report by his committee on employees housing scheme of the National Assembly before the Parliament.
The words of the committee members that people involved in the scam approached them in their hometowns and made offers did not surprise the members sitting in the House. Waqas requested to the House and Speaker National Assembly to support the committee also implied that his committee may not be able to have required backing. His words are on the record that no one except District Management Islamabad supported the committee of the sovereign Parliament, probing into the matter and implored elected House and Speaker to act before this issue like so may others is also taken up by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Failure of the government, Parliament, opposition parties to act against corrupt people involved in the scam after the report of the parliamentary committee would be shameful for everybody and a question mark on the efficacy of the Parliament.
Similar, views were expressed by Chaudhary Nisar taking the floor after Waqas Akram and resemblance in the speeches of both nurtured a kind of fear that the culprits of the scam may go unpunished despite the committee report.
After praising the Deputy Speaker that despite his first tenure Kundi set up a tradition that could be followed by others, Nisar said that committee and the chair have done their work by getting the matter probed, but the real issue is implementation on the finding of the committee. To substantiate his argument regarding the implementation, opposition leader cited the unanimous decisions of Parliamentary Committee on Security and Royal Palm Oil Club and vowed to bring a resolution in the next session of the National Assembly to give time line to the government for implementation of the committees' recommendations. The delay in accountability for the last two years might well have been a demonstration that a corruption-free culture even in the era of globalisation continues to be a dream in Pakistan largely because this is something that would hurt the interest of the ruling elite. Otherwise, if political consensus could be developed on contentious issues of 18th Constitutional Amendment and 7th National Finance Commission Award (NFC), why it was not possible in making a country corruption-free. The corruption ridden country could not move rapidly on the path to development and prosperity.
The good governance and corruption are two opposite things and the later was considered to be the sole reason of all ills. Pakistan is facing grave problems on economic front largely because of rampant corruption in various institutions. Theft in power sector, corruption in taxation system and public sector organisation have not only led the country to the verge of economic collapse but comprised its dignity and sovereignty among the comity of nations.