CONTRARY to their conflicting positions adopted during media interviews and talk shows, Senators and Members of the National Assembly, during discussion in their respective houses on the issue of latest amendments in the accountability law, were unanimous in their demand that the Ehtesab law must be the same for everyone and that there should be no exceptions.
There is logic in the demand because the goal of a corruption-free Pakistan cannot be realized without across-the-board accountability. However, it is also a fact that there have been concerns not just from the opposition and the treasury but also businessmen and civil servants about loopholes in the law and the process and the need for reforms and improvement. The amendments introduced by the Government were necessitated in view of negative impact of the accountability process on the overall governance and business environment but the opposition believes the main objective was to target just the opposition while saving the skin of other segments of the society. In this backdrop, it augurs well that the Prime Minister has reportedly agreed to the idea of taking the opposition on board while giving legal cover to the ordinance issued for the purpose. The main issue is not accountability itself but its misuse and discriminatory application. It is hoped that discussion in the two houses of parliament would help crystallize the issues involved and consensus amendments would be incorporation into the accountability law.
