NAB's new-found zeal

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) seems in recent days to have had a fire lit under it by its Chairman former Justice Javed Iqbal. Not only are accountability inquiries and cases being pursued with fresh zeal and vigour, this spurt of energy by the accountability czar has raised eyebrows regarding its impact on the general elections, now less than a month away. In principle, there can be no quarrel with Justice Iqbal's notion of across the board accountability irrespective of the status of the accused, nor with his contention that NAB's work has nothing to do with the impending polls. But as an experienced former Supreme Court judge, he cannot be unaware of the misgivings increasingly being voiced about the renewed vigour and speed of NAB regarding accountability cases so close to the elections. Reports speak of NAB tightening the noose around the Sharifs before the polls (although others too are receiving similar attention). Now Justice Iqbal has approved initiating a process to bring back former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's sons Hasan and Hussain, former finance minister Ishaq Dar and PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif's son-in-law Ali Imran Yousaf from London through Interpol. Others on this extradition list include former Ehtesab Bureau chief Saifur Rehman and even Nawaz Sharif himself. Former secretary to the prime minister Fawad Hassan Fawad is to be placed on the Exit Control List. Qamarul Islam of the Saaf Pani Company and PML-N nominated candidate against estranged Chaudhry Nisar in NA-59 (Rawalpindi) has been arrested by NAB one day after he was awarded the ticket. Khwaja Saad Rafique is to be questioned regarding the Paragon Housing Society. Hamza Shahbaz and Zaeem Qadri (despite 'revolting' against the PML-N) are also under the NAB cosh. Supporters of the PML-N may have some justification for arguing that all this represents (wittingly or unwittingly) a pattern of doing down the PML-N just before the elections. This perception may be growing outside PML-N circles too. Perhaps the NAB zealots do not realize that these actions so close to the polls, whether intended to damage the PML-N's electoral prospects or not, may end up increasing the sympathy vote for the perceived 'victims'. This is not to declare at this point their innocence or guilt, simply to point out the political fallout of what can be considered unfortunate timing. Lest the impression is created that NAB's attention is focused only on PML-N, it should be pointed out that PTI's Aleem Khan and PML-Q's Moonis Elahi, amongst others, are also on NAB's radar in different cases. However, the preponderance of attention to PML-N worthies raises suspicions in the public mind about a manipulation of the elections.
Hussain Nawaz has shrugged off the NAB extradition plan, arguing that since they have not broken any British law, the extradition is unlikely to find traction. Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has weighed in with the conclusion that Nawaz Sharif will not get justice from NAB. Nawaz Sharif himself has taken time from attending to his ailing wife in London to say that rigged polls will harm Pakistan. With so much uncertainty and conspiracy theories swirling over the elections, the last thing the country needs at this juncture is a suddenly fired up, overzealous NAB queering the pitch further, whether as a coincidence or a well thought out strategy on anyone's behest or otherwise. Whatever be the truth of the matter, the timing of NAB's new-found zeal to pursue accountability cases literally on the eve of the polls has given rise to, and is likely to exacerbate, concerns about the credibility, fair and free nature of the elections and engendered new worries about what may follow if the polls prove controversial or even unacceptable to any party or parties in the fray. No one is against accountability (although it leaves out very powerful state institutions), but it must not be aimed at, or even be seen to be aimed at engineering a desired outcome for the coming elections.