EDITORIAL: As the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2021, continues to hang fire, the government has decided to reach out to the opposition. National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser held talks with parliamentary parties' leaders to resolve differences over the controversial ordinance before the Assembly met on October 22. Opposition parties had also submitted a requisition notice requesting him to convening NA session on the same date for a debate on the accountability ordinance. Mindful of the level of mistrust and hostility between the two sides, caused mainly by the ruling party members calling the opposition leaders "thieves" and "robbers", the Speaker had expressed the hope that all parties present in the House would play an effective and constructive role in carrying the legislation forward.
An immediate bone of contention is the extension the government has decided to give Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) former Justice Javed Iqbal in breach of the constitutionally-mandated term. The issue is as tricky as it is because the Prime Minister has been refusing to hold the requisite consultation for a new appointment with the Leader of the Opposition arguing that he faces various (hitherto unproved) corruption cases. Others have turned around the same argument against the government, pointing to the PTI's foreign funding case which is pending before the anti-corruption watchdog. Considering that the incumbent was appointed by the two major opposition parties, the PML-N and PPP, after due consultation, and now the ruling party also wants him to continue, in theory at least, giving him an extension may not be so improper but for the constitutional constraint. That the accountability law is characterized by some serious flaws and weaknesses is a fact. The opposition parties have been constantly criticising it as a tool of witch-hunt introduced by the then military ruler, Gen Pervez Musharraf (retd), to punish politicians who refused to play ball. Yet, the two successive civilian governments did nothing to replace it with something better.
The initiative taken by the PTI government provides an opportunity to all to right the wrongs, ensuring the accountability law is not misused by the present or future governments to settle scores with rivals. There seems to be agreement on several provisions of the new NAB ordinance. In fact, earlier this month former president Asif Ali Zardari, facing suspicious transactions reference in Islamabad Accountability Court, sought acquittal under the amended accountability ordinance. His plea, though, was rejected by the court. Now that the ruling party and the parliamentary opposition are prepared to discuss the proposed changes at the upcoming NA session the expectation is that they would reach some sort of a consensus on this issue, and pave the way for a better working relationship. At present, nearly 30 draft laws remain bogged down due to an unending war of words between them. The legislative business must pick up steam in the greater interest of their constituents. While debating the accountability ordinance the two sides need to not only accommodate each other's concerns, but also make the accountability process meaningful.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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