Important questions

This refers to the decision of the Lahore High Court regarding the NAB cases against the former chief minister of Punjab, Shehbaz Sharif. This decision should make the chairman of NAB take a serious view of the internal operational efficiency of his institution. The flaws highlighted in the detailed judgment clearly demonstrate that the internal competence of NAB in investigating cases without developing a high level of competence regarding the workings of public sector companies will leave much to be desired. While on the one hand this incompetence may hurt the public image of individuals, on the other hand it will injure its own credibility in the public eye.

Apparently, at present, both the government and the opposition in parliament had raised concerns over the unrestricted power of NAB and its unlimited discretionary application in an inconsistent manner. Additionally, questions about its own accountability are also being raised. These are genuine concerns and one hopes that parliament, in consultation with the chairman of NAB, will order a third-party management audit of this body. In the light of the outcomes of this audit, necessary, but well-thought-out, restructuring should be done to increase the competence and credibility of this otherwise important institution of accountability.

Dr Zafar I Qureshi

Lahore