KARACHI (Staff Report) – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that release of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has made accountability a joke in Pakistan.
In a message on micro-blogging website Twitter, Bilawal went on to say that ‘holy cow syndrome’ undermines rule of law and legitimacy of institutions, while referring to a tradition of selective justice in Pakistan.
Musharraf’s release has made accountability a joke in Pakistan. Holy cow syndrome undermines rule of law and legitimacy of institutions.
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) April 20, 2016
A separate press release issued by PPP quoted Bilawal as saying “lack of fair and transparent mechanism to curb corruption caused too much loss to our nation.” New generation is fully aware of the fact that accountability had been used as tool to target selective individuals for political rivalries, he added.
The statement comes a day after Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif said that across the board accountability is necessary for the solidarity, integrity and prosperity of Pakistan. Country’s Armed Forces will fully support every meaningful effort in that direction which would ensure a better future for our next generations, the Army Chief further added.
Politicians and media commentators are considering the statement of General Raheel significant in a time when opposition parties are already demanding an inquiry into the Panama Papers leak which exposed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s sons own offshore companies.
Earlier last month, former President General (retd.) Pervez Musharraf was allowed to leave the country for medical treatment purposes while he was being tried for high treason charges at a special court.
Government’s move to remove Musharraf’s name from Exit Control List (ECL) had received criticism from different political parties. Musharraf’s pictures, which showed him heading his political party’s meetings in Dubai, released immediately after he left Pakistan had further fanned the fire.
