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At last, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) has released the report of the Broadsheet Commission after the approval of the federal cabinet. The one-man inquiry commission, comprising retired Supreme Court Justice Azmat Saeed Sheikh, released a 64-page report following the completion of an investigation.
In 2000, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) entered into an asset recovery agreement with Broadsheet. The UK firm was directed to assist NAB to track down the foreign assets and ill-gotten wealth of Pakistani politicians and bureaucrats. More than 200 prominent personalities were targeted by Former President Pervaiz Musharraf’s regime.
The then NAB chairman demanded the closure of investigations against some personalities. The firm was to get 20% of the recovered amount but NAB terminated the contract in 2003 without following the due process. The London High Court’s Financial Division issued a Final Third Party Order for payment to Broadsheet — drawing the curtains on a case that has cost Pakistani taxpayers billions of rupees.
According to the report, every effort was made to conceal, hide and misplace the relevant record in a rather obvious effort to cover up the incompetence and corruption of the present incumbents, their predecessors and political benefactors. Surprisingly, the record related to UK-based firm Broadsheet LLC was missing almost everywhere including the Pakistan High Commission in London.
The broadsheet case has once again exposed the flaws in the Pakistani system to the fullest extent. While this report highlighted the possibility of reopening corruption cases against prominent personalities, it has also exposed the mismanagement of the NAB. The commission has termed the period between 2011 and 2017 as “the darkest era of NAB”.
Importantly, Justice (retd) Azmat Saeed, who prepared the report, was a special prosecutor of the NAB at that time. The NAB signed the Broadsheet Agreement during his tenure, which caused great loss to Pakistan. Meanwhile, the federal cabinet decided to initiate a criminal inquiry against major players of the Broadsheet saga and reopen the Swiss bank accounts case against PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari.
Justice (retd) Sheikh Azmat Saeed in his report has tried to give political color to the issue. It would have been better if he had explained his role in the agreement. However, the government should now take practical steps to punish those who looted the money of the poor people of the country instead of being limited to mere threats and accusations.
