Accountability process to be followed by all state institutions: Talal Chaudhry

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Talal Chaudhry said on Sunday that the accountability process would be followed by all national institutions after the precedent set by the Pakistan Army by initiating an internal scrutiny of its top officers.

"The accountability process has started in Pakistan after 75 years," said Chaudhry in a statement today while pointing towards arrests and probe against former spymaster Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hamid and other ex-servicemen.

He said that political parties would also have to start the process of internal accountability.

The senator of the ruling party alleged that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Information Secretary Raoof Hasan was "providing material to anti-Pakistan journalists" and he was not alone but there was an organised planning behind the moves.

The PML-N stalwart went on to say that all other institutions, like the Pakistan Army, would have to kick-start accountability in the country as no one was beyond it.

Taking aim at the judiciary, he claimed that former chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar had been in contact with the ex-ISI chief [during his tenure] but he was denying the facts today. "The decisions taken under the leadership of Nisar had brought Pakistan to this [deteriorated] situation."

The politico, who served as a federal parliamentary secretary during the rule of ex-PM Nawaz Sharif from 2013 to 2017, said that the economy was moving in the right direction and no compromise would be made on Pakistan’s integrity.

He blamed the former ruling party led by incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan for isolating the country on the diplomatic front and making deliberate moves to displease the global allies of Pakistan.

Later in the day, Chaudhry, speaking to Geo News programme Naya Pakistan, claimed that the federal government was determined to make it possible the continuation of the accountability process in the country.

He added that the May 9 riots that erupted after the arrest of the PTI founder in 2023 were "not unplanned" and the government would not tolerate such events. The violent protests saw attacks on the government and military installations across the country.

The politico termed last year's mayhem a "failed rebellion" and alleged that the former ruling party was still owning its May 9 narrative.

The lawmaker further signalled that the incumbent government would be bound to take concrete steps if institutions show reluctance to start accountability against those people who destabilised the country.

Chaudhry's remarks came in a series of statements delivered by the ruling party’s ministers following the military's August 12 announcement regarding the arrest of the country's former top spy Faiz over allegations of land grabbing and snatching valuables from the owner of a private housing society, and the initiation of a process of Field General Court Martial against him.

Another three retired officers were taken into military custody after Faiz's arrest.

A day ago, Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar said that more big fish would be netted following Faiz’s arrest as the scope of the investigation will expand.

Tarar had said that the military had its mechanism of self-accountability and recent arrests were done after transparent investigations.

"Be it Saqib or Nisar, the scope of the investigation will expand as things unfold after the arrest of Gen Faiz," the federal minister said while referring to the former chief justice of Pakistan, who was accused of favouring the PTI founder.

The military had said in a statement that Gen Faiz was arrested because there were "multiple instances of violation" of the Army Act by him after his retirement in December 2022.

"The process of Field General Court Martial has been initiated, and Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hamid has been taken into military custody," it added.

The army had also said it acted against the top officer in accordance with the orders of the Supreme Court, which last year called for an investigation against him after a land development company called Top City filed a petition, alleging he had acquired ownership of some properties along with his brother and had even blackmailed the company's owner.