Opposition leader in Senate Aitzaz Ahsan on Wednesday accused former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of playing a 'key role' in toppling three democratically elected prime ministers in connivance with 'military establishment and judiciary. Taking part in the discussion on measures to combat corruption with focus on offshore companies, across the board accountability and a new accountability mechanism, he advised Sharif to bear brunt as he was the man who toppled late Benazir Bhutto's government in 1990 with the help of powerful military, and he also played role to topple her government in 1996.
"And for the third time it was again Nawaz Sharif who brought down another democratically elected prime minister [Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani] in recent past in Memogate scandal," he said while recalling Sharif approaching the apex court as petitioner, seeking disqualification of the them PM Gillani.
The PPP stalwart also lambasted Sharif for his home-going extravaganza via GT Road to presumably to ridicule the apex court which disqualified him in Panama Leaks case, and asked him to tell the nation what he wants to prove through such rallies whether it is against the military or the judiciary.
In the same breath, he called upon the former prime minister to confess the blunders he had made in the past against democratically elected governments instead of pretending he is yet to know the reason for which he had to face disqualification.
"It's you Mr. Sharif who pocketed Rs 9 million from ISI [Inter-Services Intelligence] to topple Benazir's government...stop shedding crocodile tears for Gillani now as it is of no use to cry over spilt milk," he maintained. He also challenged the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to come forward with a legislations if it is serious about amendments in Articles 62 and 63. He also called upon Sharif to name the people in front of whom he is helpless as he has claimed he knew who conspired against him.
However, winding up the debate Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid regretted over the remarks made by the opposition leaders and said that the party wants to proceed by taking all the political parties onboard. He said that the government is open for a debate on Articles 62 and 63 - the articles on the basis of which Nawaz Sharif faced disqualification. He also played down the apex court verdict in Panama Leaks, and said that it is democratic right of Sharif to approach the court of people as he was denied justice by the top court.
Responding to calls by senators who demanded across the board accountability whether it is the generals, judges, politicians or anybody else, the law minister said that provinces must set their directions as Sindh province is busy making a separate anti-graft body and bent upon restricting National Accountability Bureau from going after the corrupt in the province.
"How across the board accountability could be possible as Sindh doesn't want NAB in the province, and here you demand across the board accountability. We need to go together to change NAB law, appeal against 184 (3) and Articles 62, and 63," he added.
Earlier, taking part in the debate, the lawmakers from both sides of the aisle called for across the board accountability of all and sundry especially the military generals and the superior court judges, saying they never offered themselves for accountability.
The tirade against the military and the judges by the perturbed senators who were unanimous in saying that no one was ever made accountable except politicians, forced chairman Senate to say that the 'current session is being held in spotlight of history and the nation is looking up to Parliament to play a positive role to steer the country out of prevalent crises.
He warned that at this critical stage when there is crisis like situation in the country, if any comprise is made on accountability of the sacred cows, 'the politicians will be in the dock of the history.'
Another PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar said that no accountability mechanism will arouse any credibility unless it also brought under its ambit the judges and generals that have traditionally been treated as sacred cows. He said that a historic opportunity had presented itself before the bipartisan parliamentary committee on accountability comprising members from both houses and treasury and opposition to call a spade a spade and make anti-corruption legislation that applied to all strata of society.
He said that the parliamentary committee had agreed on all sections of draft legislation and only the clause pertaining to the definition of holder of public office remained to be sorted out. If the bipartisan committee fails in giving the nation an across the board accountability mechanism then no one else but the Parliament will only have itself to blame, he said.
Huge difference between assets and income is not the only yardstick for measuring corruption. Huge assets are also accumulated through apparently legal mechanism like the SROs and rules and regulations framed by some entities to benefit its serving and retired employees in extraordinary ways.
He called for probing the legality of such SROs and rules that doled out huge compensation byway of monetary benefits or land allotment to serving and retired employees. He said that corruption breeds in secrecy and called for right to information law to tear apart the shroud of secrecy. He said that proposed RTI should ensure that information is not withheld in the name of national security if that information is related to exposing corruption and wrongdoing or if it is related to the life of a citizen.
Senator Abdul Qayum of PML-N regretted the criticism over the military for past adventurism, saying just like not all the politicians are corrupt, the whole military should not be blamed for the abrogation of the constitution. "I do agree that those who abrogated the constitution are corrupt, but not all the military or all the generals. Stop mudslinging on the military and instead mend your ways, where there lies the interest of the country as we all should play our due role for its betterment," he added.
Senator Colonel Syed Tahir Mashhadi (retd) of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) said that the courts must stop witch hunting, as selective justice is injustice "and this what we witnessed in Panama leaks case." Senator Sirajul Haq, one of the petitioners in Panama Leaks case, said that instead of getting rid of Articles 62 and 63, it should be applied on judges and the military generals, as this will pave the way for eradicating the menace of corruption.
Senator Saud Majeed of PML-N said that the politicians should get united in the best national interest of the country and to strengthen the democratic system there is a need to proceed together in removing the hurdles. He said if Nawaz Sharif is disqualified today, someone else may face the music tomorrow if this remains the situation.
Senator Mushahidullah Khan of PML-N said that sole purpose of Panama Leaks was to oust Nawaz Sharif and it had nothing to do with accountability, adding the courts disqualified him but his home-going rally showed he is set to come back. The other lawmakers also stressed the need for doing away with Articles 62 and 63, fearing it may come as a double-edged sword on anyone like Sharif.
The lawmakers belonging to Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) seemed quite excited over apex court's decision in Panama Leaks case and said unless the menace of corruption is eradicated, there is no future of this country. Senator Noman Wazir Khattak of PTI said that no party leader except Imran Khan is financially clean, adding the PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif faced the wrath of law for his offshore companies while Asif Zardari of PPP is known as Mr. 10 percent. The chairman Senate announced that Prime Minister has agreed to hold flag hoisting ceremony in front of the Parliament House instead of the Presidency on the occasion of Independence Day (August 14).
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