Pakistan’s leading English newspaper Dawn’s two main headlines today are quite thought-provoking.
- Government thrashes out reply to opposition TORs today.
- Can the Panama Papers be probed?
Quintessentially both these headlines are interlinked. I am not going into the news details underneath these. For me the message that is conveyed is important. Government is interested only in dragging the issue far enough to ensure that Justice Jamali’s tenure as CJP comes to an end without the proposed Judicial Commission of Enquiry coming to any conclusion regarding the questions raised in the Panama Papers. Meanwhile the ministers of Mian’s cabinet would remain in an endless chorus in praise of the Prime Minister for having so magnanimously offered himself for accountability.
The second headline seeks to convey a simple message. If the sphere of the probe into the Panama Papers is expanded to cover all others involved in corruption and money-laundering, there exists no likelihood of the fundamental purpose of setting up of the said Commission getting fulfilled.
The fundamental purpose of coming into being of the proposed Commission is to find a convincing answer to the key question disturbing the mind of this Nation— Can Pakistan afford to have a person as its Chief Executive who himself or his family might have indulged in mega corruption and massive money-laundering to buy properties and business enterprises abroad? In the other words not till the Prime Minister earns full vindication and exoneration through a straightforward and transparent probe, will the mind and the conscience of this nation find peace.
Only an honest probe can earn PM this vindication and exoneration.
