People from all walks of life have demanded across the board accountability of all those whose names have been revealed in the Panama Papers as well as Swiss account holders, an anecdotal survey conducted by Business Recorder revealed.
The respondents included senior officials, mid level to low level government employees, traders, students and labourers. When asked if accountability should commence with the Prime Minister in connection with Panama Papers, the respondents unanimously stated that a transparent probe must be carried out against all those named in the Panama Papers and offshore account holders including Swiss accounts.
The poor are put behind bars for minor crimes while the rich are free to loot/plunder without any fear of accountability and rule the country while they bank their wealth in foreign countries.
Mid to low level government employees and the general public emphasised the need for across the board and early accountability of all those with properties abroad, maintaining that the majority of those involved in such practices are senior bureaucrats, generals, politicians and the rich traders. BR reached a number of traders in the federal capital and they too supported a transparent accountability system in the country, saying that purging the country of capital outflows will put the country on the path of economic development.
Traders further maintained that accountability should not be politicised or used for point scoring as it was the need of the hour. The government must bring back billions of dollars in offshore accounts held by Pakistanis even if the accounts are legally held.
Senior (in service and retired) bureaucrats however towed the PML-N line and maintained that accountability should be across the board irrespective of social status and influence of people including politicians, judges, army officers and bureaucrats; and not be limited to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family.
They were expressed skepticism about the accountability process by pointing out that "all accountability institutions including National Accountability Bureau (NAB) are not powerful enough to hold the influential corrupt accountable."
Senior bureaucrats (in service and retired) further stated that bureaucrats were often held accountable for their misdeeds, misuse of power and corruption, but "we hardly hear of any politician held accountable for their sins; and contended that politicians would never empower any accountability institution as it would then challenge their own past records."