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All parties seminar consensus

Accountability process

should be above board,

open and continuous

NISAR AHMAD SHEIKH

ISLAMABAD: Participants at the national seminar on accountability held here on Thursday expressed the view that the process of accountability should be above board, open transparent and continuous.

The participants included Qazi Hussain Ahmed, of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Ch. Aitzaz Ahsan of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Gohar Ayub Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League, Asma Jehangir of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Hussain Haqqani of the UDF and Asfandyar Wali of the Awami National Party.

Lieut. General Syed Mohammad Amjad, Chairman of the National Accountability Board was the main attraction of the seminar, Dr. Mohammad Waseem spoke of corruption and accountability while a critical evaluation of the accountability process was presented by Najam Sethi, a leading editor of a weekly.

Qazi Hussain Ahmad said that attemps in the past to conduct the process of accountability failed because the opponents were subjected to a severe process of accountability bordering on victimisation while the henchmen were treated in a concessionary manner.

Qazi Sahib suggested that the process of accountability should start with the reformation of Election Commission and electoral laws, in this manner the process of accountability would begin from the grass roots and the society as a whole would be reformed and rid of the curse of corruption. the entire system has to be based on the principle of 'diyanat and amanat' to rid the society of the menace of corruption and wrong doings, he added.

Ch. Aitzaz Ahsan said the process of accountability should be based on the principle of justice, transparent judicial process and investigation be carried out by men of integrity with above board reputation.

He said the second principle for carrying out the accountability process is that the laws governing the process should not be discretionary. There should be no loopholes in the laws.

The third golden principle for this process, he said, should be the implementation of the laws without showing any discretion to any one and those responsible for implementing these laws should have the reputation of clean persons.

Gohar Ayub Khan was of the view that ultimate accountability is carried out by the electorate and this can be done through the holding of elections. He suggested to the Chief Executive of fix a date for holding the elections so that the accountability process enjoys the consensus of the people at large.

He was, however, of the view that it would be asking too much of the army to offer itself for accountability as has been suggested by some of the participants. He said the National Assembly is an organisation which with its committee system would be in a position to carry out the accountability process. He said, the committee system approved by the National Assembly after taking account the functioning of the committees system in a manner of countries, could provide the best system of accountability.

Asma Jehangir of the Human Rights Commission said it is a matter of grave concern that Pakistan's image has been tarnished abroad as two of its prime ministers have been dismissed on charges of corruption while the two prime minister have been calling each other traitors. What good these allegations and counter allegations have done to Pakistan?

She said, we have to have a mature legal system providing credibility to the outcome of the accountability process, it is unfortunate that the judiciary is not independent.

She asked the national accountability bureau to spell out the criteria and objectivity of the process before it. She was of the view that one time accountability would not be feasible, it has to be a continuous process and for conducting this process we must have respect for the law.

Hussain Haqqani of the United Democratic Front said the process of accountability should be based on justice but unfortunately, he added we have been making the same mistakes again and again and the NAB is also currently making the same mistake.

The process of accountability should be confined to those who are really the culprits and not to frighten the people. It should not be arbitrary as there would be no corruption if there is no arbitrariness.

Asfandyar Wali of the ANP said there is a fine line of difference between accountability and victimisation and this should be kept in mind. Yesterday it was victimisation of one political entity and today it is again victimisation. Are all the political leaders and workers dishonest while all others are angels? He asked. The accountability of political leaders, civil and military bureaucracy and the judiciary should be carried out in an evenhanded manner. People would not accept sloganeering but hard facts.

Addressing the armed forces through General Mohammad Amjad, the ANP leader said "you have created a vacuum in the country by putting to stop to political activity and warned this sort of action always leads to extremism. Supposing the armed forces failed to deliver the desired results, with the politicians and political entities in the doldrums what will happen to the people and the state, he asked. He said that accountability should be a continuous process but side by side the democratic process has also to function.

The Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau, Lieut. General Syed Mohammad Amjad said that in the NAB our approach to curtail or eradicate corruption through accountability is based on law and the accountability ordinance is an eloquent example of conduct of the accountability process lawfully and in a fair and evenhanded manner.

He said the accountability has to become a process not to be carried out just once but it has to be a continuous process. The constitution, although it talks of the accountability, must be changed to provide for continuous system of accountability.

Earlier in his introductory remarks, the seminar's conductor, Imtiaz Alam said that many a problem haunt the Pakistanis as a nation and demand a clear direction and appropriate measures at all levels. The focus today is on three questions that is accountability, devolution and political reforms.

He said we are again being told that accountability is a panacea to all our ills. You may take all corrupt to task but the menac will remain unless addressed on an institutional, structural, evenhanded all sided and transparent basis.

He said the real issue is to install an institutional, credible, transparent, across-the-board and evenhanded system of accountability that is above the dictates of the executive. But, he maintained that even if we are able to bring the crooks of the past to books we will not be able to eradicate corruption without setting up the system right that is based on patronage and promote corrupt practices.