Across the board accountability!

Despite the fact that four hundred army personnel of various ranks have been prosecuted and punished from ordinary disciplinary action to serious offences during the last two years, some politicians, media persons, columnists and analysts have been criticizing the military establishment, and propagating that no action is taken against, what they call ‘holy cows’. The other day, Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa confirmed punishment to two Pakistan Army officers and one civilian officer on charges of spying. Lt. General (retd) Javed Iqbal has been sentenced to 14 years in rigorous prison and Brigadier (retd) Raja Rizwan has been sentenced to death. Dr Wasim Akram, who was employed at a sensitive organization, has also been awarded the death penalty. According to ISPR, the officers were tried under the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and Official Secret Act by separate Field General Court Martial (FGCM) for separate cases.
It means forfeiture of rank, decorations, medals, honors, awards, seizure of pension, recovery of personal gains, cancellation of service benefits and all other allied facilities including medical etc. In 2015, the military had carried out its own internal cleansing.
Although investigation had been completed after the retired Generals were reinstated in order to court martial them, it was in August 2015 that two retired army generals and a civilian officer of the National Logistics Cell (NLC) were sentenced by an army court for violating NLC rules and regulations that caused financial losses to the organization. In the light of findings of the inquiry committee that probed the investment made by NLC in the stock market after borrowing money from banks, two accused retired generals were awarded punishments under the Pakistan Army Act. In August 2015, military court punished the senior army officers who incurred huge financial losses to the public exchequer.
But eyebrows are being raised by so-called liberals and democrats on filing of references against Sindh High Court Judge K.K. Agha and Suprem Court Judge Qazi Faez Isa. Some mainstream political parties whose leaders are involved in mega corruption have been raising questions about NAB by pointing out that there was no accountability of the judges and generals. Filing of references against senior judges coincides with the verdict against senior military officers, which should be appreciated, as Supreme Judicial Council is an arm of accountability and is headed by none other than Chief Justice of Pakistan. The alleged charges relate to Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s offshore accounts and undeclared wealth, and case is to be decided by the Supreme Judicial Council whether he deserves the seat in SCP or not. Yet, some political parties and so-called liberals are raising hullabaloo through their favorite media houses and anchorpersons, which is uncalled for.
A panelist in ARY talk show namely Irshad Bhatti said that Justice Qazi Faez Isa was instrumental in shutting the Huydaybia Paper Mills case against the Sharif family, and helped the corrupt family on technical grounds rather than following the norms of justice. Where were the liberals and lovers of democracy when Sharifs were accommodated in broad daylight by stamping the SCP seal on this important case of mega money laundering? Secondly, why he did not disclose it in his wealth statement filed with Income Tax department? Is this conduct of the honorable judge justified while sitting on the highest pedestal of justice? People of Pakistan are watching the conduct of politicians and media persons, and they have the right to question that if death sentence awarded to senior officers of army and 14 year rigorous imprisonment to Lt. General, why politicians, judges and journalists should be any exception?