Ex-PM Imran’s bail in Al-Qadir case is a setback to international fight against corruption. The case is holding Pakistan’s democracy hostage as pointed out in Biden’s first US anti-corruption policy. Former French President Sarkozy was sentenced to jail for corruption involving money laundering. Imran is therefore a test case for global corruption to protect democracy from dictatorship with loyalty to individuals instead of the constitution.
In his anti-corruption policy, Biden said that corruption is a core national security interest. He said that corruption poses an existential threat to prosperity, security and democracy for Americans and for people around the world. When officials steal from their citizens or oligarchs flout the rule of law, honest businesses cannot compete, poverty grows, conflict deepens and trust in government plummets (Fact Sheet: US Leadership in the Fight Against Global Corruption 11 Dec 2023, White House).
The bail is failure of justice system to deal with high profile cases and hold all those involved in the case accountable. By bringing ex-PM to book, Pakistan can set an example to stop mega money laundering, corruption and bribery. UK government confiscated £190M dirty money being laundered through UK (Pakistani tycoon agrees to hand over £190m to UK authorities 2 Dec 2019 the Guardian). The accountability is needed to strengthen democracy and defeat dictatorship permanently.
Al-Qadir Trust case has international dimensions. It is test of Western democracies, the EU and the UN to eliminate corruption, bribery and anti-money laundering with direct fallout on democracy, rule of law and accountability. It is legal obligation of international establishment to uphold international laws to eliminate corruption by upholding one country, one law against powerful elite. Pakistan’s transparency ranking was worse off under PTI (26 Jan 2022, Dawn).
In Jan 2023, PDM government ordered investigation against PTI-led government for failing to submit £190M in national exchequer as country of origin under the UN convention against corruption. The unrest that engulfed the country after Imran’s arrest is linked to valuable properties in the British capital. They have raised concerns about the UK’s status as a haven for political elites and their money (Why two luxury London homes are at the centre of Pakistan’s turmoil 3 Jun 2023, the Guardian).
The UK’s Deputy Foreign Secretary has said that nearly 40% of the dirty money in the world is going through the London and other crown dependencies (14 May 2024, the Guardian). Enough pandering to wealthy foreigners. UK needs to boost transparency and toughen sanctions (Britain is a notorious haven for dirty money (4 Sept 2023, the Guardian). To eliminate corruption, FATF should make it mandatory to make overseas property registers public in US, Europe and ME.
In Supreme Court Ethics Oversight, US Senator White House has exposed Supreme Court capture and legal routes to stop it (Scheme 21, 27 and 30). As member of Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Whitehouse exposed corruption of justices in Senate including regulatory capture, use of fake questions, Scalia tricks (1 & 2) and Amicus Curiae (friends of court). Senator Whitehouse showed use of Fake Facts and “Knight-Errantry” in the Supreme Court (Scheme 29).
According to Senator Whitehouse, Citizen United v. FEC has corrupted US democracy by allowing unlimited funding to politicians, which has shifted accountability to donors instead of voters (Scheme 30). Politicians use judiciary to avoid democratic accountability. Despite Biden’s anti-corruption policies, 60% Americans cite corruption as their top concern. Trump also abandoned his pledge to ‘drain the swamp’ (24 Oct 2020, Washington Post). The failure to control corruption in the West is gutting democracy in the global south.
In 1824, Jackson won as US President to drain the DC Swamp. Trump also adopted his anticorruption pledge to win 2016 election but discarded it upon entering White House (Trump Has Filled, Not Drained, the Swamp, 21 Sept 2017, the Atlantic). The Administration needs structural reforms to overhaul the system (Revisiting President Trump’s Forgotten Five-Point Ethics Plan 28 Sept 2020, CLC). The US Supreme Court has hijacked American democracy (11 July 2023, the Guardian).
Under CJP Justice Isa has taken a stand against corruption. A Supreme Court judge had to resign on corruption allegations. The rogue elements are targeting state and its democratic institutions for fight against corruption. Failure to punish corruption in Al-Qadir case will bring one party rule in Pakistan like US for next 100 years (4 Apr 2024, the Guardian). It is time for justice in Al-Qadir case without fear and favour involving ruling elite in the last five decades along with powerful global players.
Similarly, the individuals named in Broadsheet Scandal with corruption allegations are appearing as friends of court in Pakistan Supreme Court in upcoming case(s). The US Senator Whitehouse has already exposed in US Supreme Court capture schemes (21, 27, 29, 30 and 31). It is professional responsibility of judiciary to rule out any crooked capture of Pakistan Supreme Court for democracy, upholding international anti-corruption obligations and accountability.
—The writer is senior political analyst based in Islamabad.
