No reporter sitting in the press gallery Friday morning was surprised to see member after member of the National Assembly vying to get the floor from each side of the house. Cutting across the party divide, many of them vigorously protested against what they dubbed “a sinister and well-thought-out campaign” to malign the collective image of public representatives.
A report compiled by an investigative journalist, Umer Cheema, has triggered their fury. Since its coming into public Wednesday, usually shrieking talk shows of our television channels have been portraying the whole lot of our parliamentarians as a bunch of arrogant tax evaders, notwithstanding some noble exceptions.
I seriously believe that compilers of the said report essentially desired that people sitting in our elected ‘sovereign houses’ should take the lead in promoting a culture in Pakistan, where people with regular incomes register themselves with tax collectors and help the state to improve its revenue collection capacity.
But after many decades of living under the suffocating wings of the civil and khaki elite, our politicians are now conditioned to look for ‘motives’ behind all initiatives that diligent journalists and fiercely active judiciary have started taking boldly of late. Somewhere in the first five months of 2013, these politicians are also expected to face a ferociously contested election. So they have to be doubly-concerned about their reputation. Despite that many of them seem to have disregarded whatever is being said and written about their persons and politics in media so close to the next election.
Far more upsetting for these politicians are the loud and nonstop whispers which suggest that the usual suspects from our deep state have begun working for setting up a government of “able, honest and patriotic technocrats.” Apparently to be put in place for holding the next election, the said government can switch its focus to conduct “ruthless accountability of corrupt politicians” with the stated intent of ensuring the return of squeaky clean types to the next assemblies.
Obviously, the “cleansing process” will need time to deliver and wagging tongues are talking of a government of technocrats to rule, “at least for three years”. Don’t blame the regular politicians, therefore, if they aggressively reacted to some recent statements of Chairman NAB. The tax-related report has also been refuted in the same context.
The intensity of politicians’ concern for their collective image these days can also be gauged from the fact that even Aftab Ahmad Sherpao took the floor Friday. He otherwise is in the habit of ignoring the negative media stories about his person with elitist disdain. While refuting his image of a tax-dodger he sounded very angry and fumbling in search of appropriate words to express his ire and annoyance.
Nadeem Afzal Chan was stunningly blunt on the contrary. Although a first-timer to the National Assembly, this youthful member from Central Punjab is widely adored by media persons. Many of them have now turned his close friends. Yet he started naming names of some prominent journalists to blast the holier-than-though reputation of “independent media.” He dropped heavy hints to peddle allegations that some media moguls were habitually savouring patronage from successive governments and military dictators; didn’t pay salaries to their staff and promoted “anti-democracy agenda” through publications and TV networks under their control.
Chan seemed ruthless while disclosing and discussing the overall conduct of media and some of its leading lights. Still, I feel sorry for him. As Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, he has been daringly trying hard for many months to maneuver the appearance of the Registrar Supreme Court before the outfit he heads. Via a formal letter, the apex court had finally informed him Thursday that as per its reading of the constitution, the PAC had no authority to summon the Registrar with accounts of the Supreme Court to its meetings. The funds provided to the Supreme Court fall under the head of Federal Consolidated Fund and this head is immune from scrutiny by the Public Accounts Committee.
Before coming to the house Friday, Chan had presided over a PAC meeting where most participants found it hard to swallow the snub they had received from the apex court. Fiery and provocative remarks were made by some angry members, but in the interest of safe driving I prefer not to report them. Cautiously, I can only predict that Nadeem Afzal Chan is all set to trigger a showdown with hyperactive superior courts on the question of account checking by public representatives.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2012.
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There is no reason to react by the member of national Assembly so violently on the report of tax evasion . Definitely there is truth in it Let every person contesting for assembly elections provincial or national must declare the details of his/ her tax returns, details of wealth( liquid as well as fixed assets) owned along with its present and original value. Also law makers must declare the same every year . Declaration about the wealth of of spouse too may be made compulsory , if possible. This declaration should be made mandatory at the time of filing their nomination papers to contest the election.
In almost all south Asian countries having democracy such declaration is mandatory. why can't it be applied in Pakistan also. These are the methods to have transparency in financial matters of of the public representative. Corruption level will certainly reduce with the fear that there is a system to watch. This will certainly help to bring change in the attitude of of public representative too to realize that they, in fact, are servants of public and not the masters.