Partly Facetious: Let's hope Babar Awan is right

05 Oct, 2010

"Babar Awan thundered in Karachi during the weekend."
"Right, but you have to grant the man an audience."
"Why would he need any audience? He has unlimited access to President Zardari..."
"OK my friend...grapes are sour..."
"Not for me...they maybe for Amin Fahim or Safdar Abbassi or..."
"I get it - all those who do not have the President's ear..."
"Right, but I take exception to what Babar Awan said."
"Get in line mate...there is a hundred-kilometre queue..."
"Don't be facetious. Anyway I wanted to take exception to his statement that accountability must be across the board and not just President Zardari or PPP specific."
"You can't fault that statement! Accountability has to be across the board what with generals and bureaucrats and..."
"I agree to some extent. But Awan must know that it is the responsibility of the government to investigate and pursue cases in courts?"
"Yes but..."
"So if non-PPP actors are not being taken to task part of the blame must rest with the government."
"Indeed, but..."
"Hear me out. So essentially the Law Minister is directly responsible for this lapse...please hear me out...I know what you are going to say: that the courts are not hearing past cases against non-PPP actors...and he did mention Asghar Khan case."
"Right."
"But this implies he is placing the entire onus on the courts instead of taking the initiative and launching cases against the non-PPP actors. My question is why doesn't the PPP take the initiative? Yes and before you point it out let me state that even Nawaz Sharif is relying on the courts to get rid of the PPP government which is really counter to what parliamentary democracy is all about."
"Awan may start something after the ordinance that makes him the NAB head - an ordinance which was issued during the time the parliament was in session."
"His critics say he has already started - the confrontation between the lawyers and the judiciary in Lahore..."
"Let's not go there - who knows the power behind that? Did the Prime Minister advise the President to sign the accountability ordinance as required by our constitution?"
"The PM was so busy attending the National Assembly, he has boasted he has missed very few days, that he probably didn't realise that he advised the President to sign the ordinance."
"Don't be facetious."

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