Earlier this month, media across the border flashed news of a staggering $4.9 billion sent from Pakistan to India, allegedly by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif through money laundering channels. The reason was an announcement by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which said it was investigating the claims made in a World Bank report of 2016, titled ‘Migration and Remittances Fact Book’.
A little known columnist of an Islamabad-based Urdu daily had claimed in February that the former Prime Minister laundered the money. The article, quoting the World Bank report, asked the authorities to take notice. But there was a problem. The report was based on an estimation of money sent by immigrants since Partition and not by Mr. Sharif. Also, both the World Bank and State Bank rejected the allegations, claiming that the figure of $4.9 billion was a mere estimate.
But Justice Javed Iqbal, who took over the NAB in October, still ordered the investigation. He defended his action by saying that he is empowered to look into any matter of corruption and order a probe. The NAB Chairman is appointed for four years and can be removed only through Parliament. Justice Iqbal had earlier served as a Supreme Court judge and the chief of Press Council.
In Pakistan, like in India, linking someone to the ‘enemy’ country triggers questions about his or her loyalty to the nation. In this case, Mr. Sharif’s meeting with Indian businessman Sajjan Jindal in a hill resort of Murree last year had raised many eyebrows. Mr. Sharif and his successor Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi reacted angrily to the NAB order. Mr. Abbasi, on the floor of the lower house of Parliament, called for summoning the NAB chief to the House. Mr. Sharif, who is already facing a probe by the NAB following the Panama Papers scandal that disclosed the Sharif family’s properties in the U.K., was particularly harsh. He called for an apology from the judge.
Since being disqualified by the Supreme Court last year for not disclosing his income from his son’s Dubai-based company, Mr. Sharif is struggling to keep himself afloat in Pakistan’s political scene. His narrative is that two powerful institutions of the country — the judiciary and the military — joined hands to disqualify him on shoddy grounds. Mr. Sharif then tried to remain the leader of the ruling party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). But the apex court struck down a hastily passed amendment to the Constitution, forcing the party to remove him as its leader.
The battle is on
The Panama Papers cases are about to complete in a month or two. Although he is disqualified and can’t contest elections, he is trying to secure the next government for his brother Shahbaz Sharif or daughter Maryam Nawaz. But his arch-rival and Opposition party Tehreek-e-Insaf’s chief Imran Khan is gearing up to defeat the Sharifs. Mr. Khan has been leading regular campaigns and sit-ins against the Sharifs’ alleged corruption. A number of legislators from the ruling party have switched loyalty to the former cricketer.
The judge of the accountability court has asked for a second extension for the probe against the Sharifs. And now another probe has been ordered. With elections due in July, the fate of Mr. Sharif holds the key to success for the PML-N in Punjab province, the political base of the former Prime Minister. Punjab has around half of the total National Assembly seats of 272. The battle is already on for both Mr. Sharif and his rivals.
MUBASHIR ZAIDI writes for The Hindu and is based in Karachi
