Nawaz Sharif is going to make history by becoming the first ever sitting prime minister of Pakistan who will be probed in an election rigging case.
The prime minister, along with many other politicians of different parties, is facing allegations of receiving money from spy agency – ISI – to defeat Pakistan Peoples Party in the general elections of 1990. “The prime minister has now agreed for an ‘interview’ with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)”, for which a date will be set keeping in mind his engagements. The polite term ‘interview’ is being used by the investigating agency for ‘investigation’ in view of the dignity of the office of the country’s chief executive. The officer claimed that FIA has already completed its probe against other accused politicians, including former federal minister Syeda Abida Hussain, Javed Hashmi, former Punjab governor Mustafa Khar and journalist Altaf Hassan Qureshi. Former Army Chief General (r) Aslam Beg and former ISI chief Lt-Gen Asad Durrani who are also accused in the case have filed a review petition in the apex court, but they also have expressed willingness to let FIA probe them, said another FIA officer. However, he said the agency will contact them only when the court decides on their review petition. The matter has been pending for several years despite the Supreme Court orders for a speedy probe, primarily because the accused are too influential to be accessed by the investigators. The Asghar Khan case has been pending for many years and it is uncertain that the prosecution will be able to present a good case to the court. In the short order of the case for 2012 the Chief Justice extensively mentioned the role of Armed Forces but avoided naming any politician who benefitted from the so called ‘election cell’. It seemed that the Supreme Court practically convicted them but fell short of making it official. Clarity would have amounted to accusations of treason and political chaos. Many lacunas were left unresolved, as if the court was in a hurry to get rid of the case. Another three years on, it seems too little too late to convict anyone, unless there is new vigour in the Supreme Court to finally settle the matter. The FIA’s investigation has been slower than a tortoise. The whole case is not some fantasy made up by the opposition. Everything is in black and white- who received how much money. But what about the recipients? Aren’t they accessories in the crime? What happens then to their eligibility to contest elections? The FIA has to get serious. No one is above the law, but many in Pakistan have been able to slip from under it and avoid prosecution and arrest. The PML-N has had a series of lessons learnt in the past year and it should know now that its power has limits.
pk.shafaqna.com
