ISLAMABAD - Political parties yesterday welcomed Army Chief General Raheel Sharif’s action against the corrupt military officers and backed his vision of across the board accountability.
The COAS on last Wednesday said that accountability should be held across the board and yesterday he sacked six senior and junior army officials over corruption.
Talking to The Nation, Central Information Secretary of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf Naeemul Haq said that COAS’s decision against senior officers helped the nation to stand up against corruption at every level.
He said the incumbent government has no courage to take steps against its own cabinet members and premier’s family members. He asked all national and provincial anti-corruption watchdogs to follow the military accountability’s mechanism and expose the corrupt officers. Responding to a question, he said that if the government did not constitute the commission for investigation into Panama leaks then the PTI reserves the right to stage protest and moves the court.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan has already supported COAS’s statement and action against corruption and corrupt officers.
Former president of Awami National Party (ANP) Haji Adeel praised the CAOS and said last day army chief’s decision shows that he believes in accountability. He said that no dictator launched this kind of campaign against corruption especially against high rank military officers in past. He said that only politicians and civil bureaucrats were used to arrest on corruption in the past but it was the first time that “Secret Cows” have also been also exposed.
Adeel pointed out the failure of all political parties that they could not introduce self-accountability mechanism so far. He suggested that every political party should formulate accountability’s committee which could force the senior party leaders to take actions against the corrupt leaders.
But unfortunately, he said, there is no system in parliament to investigate the parliamentarians who are involved in corruption. He suggested that standing committees of both Senate and National Assembly should also be strengthened to take independent decisions against the corrupt people. He said that Raheel Sahrif was different kind of army general and wished the other serving generals should also follow him against extremism and corruption instead to follow former dictator Pervez Musharaf.
Senior leader Jamaat Islami Liaquat Baloch said that the timing of army chief’s action against military officers was no doubt perfect because the people have lost confidence in national and provincial accountability institutions. He said the Panama leaks issue should be investigated but parliament and ruling party have failed to constitute a commission in this regard.
Baloch said army is a well organised institution and it always took brave decisions against corrupt officers but this time it shared the details of army chief’s action with the nation.
He said all leading political parties should sit together and introduce best system for accountability of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats.
Supporting the move against corruption by Army Chief General Raheel Sharif, Muttahida Quami Movement [MQM] yesterday demanded to take note of the officials of the armed forces who are allegedly involved in setting up an alternate party (Pak Sarzameen Party) against it. “The move against corruption is welcomed by MQM,” said the party senior lawmaker Ali Raza Abidi while sharing views about recent move of Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif to dismiss army officers over corruption. Talking to The Nation, Abidi said the MQM has never been named in any corruption case but is always alleged for the crimes that cannot be proven since 1992. “MQM supports the move by General Raheel Sharif,” requesting him to take note of the corruption taking place in Karachi where some officials of the forces are setting up an alternate party against MQM by buying loyalties.
The MQM is currently facing enormous pressure from newly established political party ‘Pak Sarzameen Party’. Mustafa Kamal, former mayor Karachi/ blued-eyed member of Altaf Hussain, is heading the party with the most of former MQM members. He along with other senior politicians from MQM established Pak Sarzameen Party after his return from Dubai.