Shahzad Akbar’s resignation: What was the fate of previous heads of accountability?

Advisor to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar had tendered resignation from his position that has been recalling the political history of Pakistan in which the fate of the then heads of accountability was not different than by current one.

The resignation of Shahzad Akbar is not the first incident in Pakistan as previously, the heads of accountability had met the same fate which we would recall.

1990-93

During the tenure of Nawaz Sharif, then Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government had formed an accountability bureau under the chair of Saifur Rehman to initiate crackdowns against the ‘corrupt elements’.

The accountability bureau had been actively scrutinizing and arresting people in the name of accountability, most of them were associated with opposition parties including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). At that time, the bureau had once nabbed a former CDA chairman of PPP-era named Shafi Sehwani who died of cardiac arrest on the next day of arrest.

However, the accountability bureau of Nawaz Sharif tenure has become a history.

1997-2000

Najam Sethi had become an accountability czar in a caretaker setup after the dissolution of Benazir Bhutto late led government by Farooq Leghari.

Sethi had headed the accountability campaign under the then caretaker government at that time.

Interestingly, Sethi is now seen praising the PPP’s top leaders, Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on TV these days.

The outcomes of then accountability campaign has not been discussed these days.

However, the accountability practices bore no fruit to eliminate corruption from the country.

The history has been repeated once again in the shape of Shahzad Akbar’s resignation.

Question arises after the development of whether the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will be able to uproot the menace of corruption from the country or it’s accountability efforts will go in vain again.