NAB chief’s exit
AFTAB Sultan, whom Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had described last July as “a man of impeccable integrity, having an impressive past record” — someone whose “credibility is beyond doubt” — has chosen to step down as chairman of the National Accountability Bureau, citing “interference” and “pressure”. Though Mr Sanaullah had ‘hoped’ at the time of Mr Sultan’s appointment that he would “steer the accountability drive without any partisanship”, it appears that some quarters had no intention of letting him work on those terms. The PTI claims that he had been under pressure to draw up corruption references against party chief Imran Khan, and quit because he refused to do so. A press release from the Prime Minister’s Office cited ‘personal reasons’, while also stating that the PM had appreciated Mr Sultan’s services, lauded his honesty and uprightness, and only accepted the resignation at the latter’s insistence.
Though NAB has been almost completely incapacitated since the PDM government passed legislation last year to render the country’s accountability laws toothless and ineffective, it is unfortunate to see that the temptation to continue to use the institution to target political opponents is still very much alive. Though Mr Sultan’s stay in office was short, he seems to have had some success in retrieving NAB from under the constant cloud of notoriety which had covered the institution during his predecessor’s tenure. It is commendable that he refused to let NAB once again become an accessory to political persecution. There were reports that the retired bureaucrat would receive “dictation” through telephone calls, and had been greatly frustrated by the impression in the media that he had not been doing ‘enough’. How will NAB start acting now that he has left? With political activities once again heating up, those who had been ordering Mr Sultan around are unlikely to back down.
It is a huge embarrassment for the government that Mr Sultan — a retired Grade-22 officer with a distinguished track record; who once stood up to a dictator and suffered for it — has decided to go home rather than continue to serve. Attention will now turn to who will be appointed as his replacement, and how. The PTI seems keen to return to parliament and take back the leadership of the opposition in the House from Raja Riaz Ahmed, who cannot be expected to act independently given his political leanings. Instead of insisting on appointing another NAB chairman against the spirit of the appointment process, the government should let the PTI take a seat at the table and decide on a name with mutual agreement. Given that some quarters are quite intent on continuing to use NAB for political persecution, it would be very damaging to the PDM’s credibility if it continues to act cynically on this matter.
Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2023
Barkhan outrage
THERE appears to be no end to the tales of woe and misery emerging from Balochistan. While the province’s misfortunes are well documented, the grim discovery of the bodies of a woman and two young boys from a well in the Barkhan area only confirms that the law of the jungle reigns supreme in the hapless province.
According to the victim’s husband Khan Muhammad Marri, his wife Granaz and his two sons, including a minor, were allegedly kept in the private jail of provincial minister Abdul Rehman Khetran for the last four years. Police say the three bodies had gunshot wounds in the head and showed signs of torture. As per Mr Marri, five more of his children, including a minor daughter, remain illegally confined.
It remains unclear why the victims had been kept in the private jail, while in a video doing the rounds on social media the woman, holding a copy of the Holy Quran, begs the state and society to save their lives.
Mr Khetran, who was arrested yesterday, denied culpability, saying it is a ‘conspiracy’ against him, while Marri tribesmen remain camped out in Quetta’s Red Zone with the victims’ coffins, demanding justice. An FIR has been registered against ‘unknown’ suspects.
One wonders how such a gruesome state of affairs can exist in a nation which claims to be ruled by the law. In large swathes of Pakistan, particularly Balochistan, the law has no meaning. This is not the first time Abdul Rehman Khetran has been accused of running a private jail.
Such an illegal facility was discovered in 2014 when law enforcers raided his property in Barkhan after he reportedly tortured police officers. Unfortunately, such grotesque behaviour is the norm, and not an exception, especially in places where the feudal mindset is entrenched. But in a state that supposedly adheres to the constitutional order, there can be no place for private jails.
The protesters in Quetta want action against Mr Khetran, and have also called upon the prime minister to visit them. This inhuman crime must be thoroughly probed and the guilty brought to justice, without considering their connections and clout.
Moreover, the remaining prisoners must be freed and the menace of illegal jails ended throughout Pakistan. Our claims of being a civilised society will be meaningless if the killers of Granaz’s children are not brought to justice.
Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2023
Changing politics
CHAUDHRY Parvez Elahi’s decision to join the PTI betrays his desperation to stay relevant in Punjab’s rapidly changing political environment. It was not a sudden decision; nor did it have much to do with his expulsion from the PML-Q, a party he helped his cousin Shujaat Hussain form more than two decades ago to provide political crutches to Gen Musharraf. Both the former chief minister and his son Moonis Elahi had dropped enough hints that they were not averse to the idea of merging their group within the PML-Q with PTI to further consolidate their alliance — as ‘advised’ by then army chief Gen Bajwa soon after the vote of no-confidence last year — with Imran Khan. Only time will tell if the decision will pay off and whether the wily politician from Gujrat and his new leader succeed in helping one another achieve their respective political ambitions.
More significantly, Chaudhry Parvez Elahi’s move underlines the diminishing clout of smaller, family-based parties in provincial politics. Punjab has undergone tremendous demographic and socioeconomic changes triggered by rapid urbanisation and growing access — both to urban and rural demographics — to the internet, during the last one decade. These changes have altered the political landscape across the province, leading to the reduction in the political influence of Punjab’s traditional political families. Being seasoned politicians, the two cousins know only too well that they need the platform, or at least the full backing, of the bigger national parties to win the next elections. While one branch of the Chaudhrys of Gujrat has allied itself with the PTI for its survival, the other led by Shujaat Husain has put all its eggs in the PDM basket and will ultimately be forced to make seat adjustments with the PML-N to win even in the family stronghold. The reality is that the name of the family patriarch, Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi, is no longer a guarantee that they will be returned to the assemblies.
Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2023