It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair… Thus begins ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ by Charles Dickens, words that stand out for their universal appeal and perhaps apply to all ages including the present times in our neck of the woods where the Supreme Court has disqualified a sitting prime minister and sought the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to set the wheels of trial in motion.

In fact, much has been written about the landmark judgment which has brought forth an interesting facet of society. Given the fact that this is the age of information, political awareness and relatively free speech, people from various callings and backgrounds have opinions of their own and want themselves to be heard. They are the ones who usually don’t get access to the mainstream news sources but explore informal channels of communication such as social media and electrify many a living room with ‘lively debates’. No wonder this is the age of analysis as well!

“The Supreme Court verdict in the Panama Papers case is like a whiff of fresh air. In a country mired in myriads of problems and where justice is often considered elusive, the indictment of the ruling family can only be a welcome step,” says Shahan Khan, a student of graduation at the Government College University (GCU).

For him and many other supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), there may be legal and political issues involved in the case but, all things being equal, there has to be accountability of the leaders and ideally it has to begin from top regardless of who the complainant is.

“It is true that a democratic dispensation must be allowed to smoothly function but not at the cost of the very people who vote the rulers into power. So the corrupt and wrongdoers should be held accountable through fair trial and transparency – the two pillars of the democratic edifice,” Shahan adds.

Any political party clamouring for supremacy of rule of law and a robust system should set an example by presenting itself for accountability instead of hiding behind empty slogans, says Shahan.

Sharing his views on the subject, an academic has this to say: “Every case has its merits and demerits. Just as any other case, there are supporters and detractors of the apex court judgment in the Panama Papers case. Unlike political parties which have a clear vested interest and interpret the verdict according to their suitability, an impartial observer should be able to think beyond these lines and assess whether such a decision will serve justice in the real sense and do abiding good to the country.”

There is no denying that the apex court judges have exercised restraint and come up with a bold decision, he says, but the fact remains that accountability will be meaningful only if it is seen as an ongoing process and applies to all institutions. Accountability, by definition, is something which covers all segments of society. At this juncture much more important than the disqualification of the ruling family is the need to introduce a mechanism that makes corruption and malfeasance a prohibitive act, he argues.

“There are many aspects of the decision which will continue to be debated in the days, weeks and months to come. What is a matter of concern is the people’s reaction to it. Unsavoury remarks and demeaning of discourse, especially on social media, are the order of the day. It is alarming that the spectacle of venom-spitting demagogues and politicians at each other’s throat is emulated at various fora. It doesn’t matter whether anyone belongs to one political party or another as political awareness and leanings are natural but a lack of tolerance for opposing views is the bane of society,” comments a journalist.

Anyone wishing to see a truly democratic system thrive and hold the flag of accountability and transparency high should realise that decent discourse is the cornerstone of it all, he says.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2017