Impartial appointments

The IMF's insistence that the head of the accountability watchdog should be a non-controversial person, and one who enjoys the confidence of the opposition too, is spot on. The government's nod under compulsion, however, is a telling tale of its indispensable reliance on the international lender. The point is that it would have been more sensible and politically correct if we had not left behind such issues to be exploited and pin-pointed by donors and extra-territorial forces, by keeping our record on governance, reforms and self-appraisal in an undisputed format. The fact that every government wants to regulate national institutions as per its exigent priorities has left a bad taste in governance, besides leading to public outcry and lack of confidence in such institutions.

While the incumbent NAB chairman is on an extension by virtue of a contested amendment, and the fairness of the very institution has also come under question repeatedly, it is high time necessary course-correction was undertaken. A staggering Rs5.1 trillion that was recovered by NAB but could not be cross-verified in national treasure had raised eyebrows, and caused intervention from donor agencies. Similarly, the complaints from civil society and opposition political parties against NAB's alleged partiality are also serious issues that can only be addressed through an impartial figure at the helm. Thus, the government's assurance to the Fund to usher in 'autonomy and transparency' through a robust selection process is appreciated, and must walk the talk.

IMF had recently expressed concerns over appointments in autonomous and national bodies based on political bias, as they open floodgates for bureaucratic meddling. It had refused to accept the government's request for powers to appoint heads of SOEs. The intention is to strengthen the anti-corruption regulatory framework, and to improve the nation's poor governance. The envelope is in need of being pushed impartially, and with the opposition on board over appointment of the heads of Election Commission, Public Accounts Committee, federal and provincial ombudsman and all public entities.