Issue of Accountability in a Contemporary Perspective of Pakistan (1999-2008) Problems and Prospects

Abstract

Accountability is important issue that requires detailed scrutiny for comprehending its constraints and potentials in Pakistan. Since the creation of Pakistan, numerous efforts have been made by the different governments to introduce mechanisms of accountability. Around half a dozen institutions and many laws have been formed related to accountability mechanisms in Pakistan. General Musharraf military government has enacted the National Accountability Ordinance in 1999. Resultantly, National Accountability Bureau has been formed. It is still existed. All these efforts by different governments in Pakistan have remained elusive and failed to win the successful results. The aim of this research is to establish the meaning of the phenomena of accountability in the contemporary perspective of Pakistan. This study has adopted the interpretivist approach because it is more related to the contextual nature of the studied phenomenon of accountability organizations and agencies in Pakistan. This study has adopted the grounded theory as a method and followed its techniques. However, Quantitative survey is employed to provide support to predominately qualitatively based analysis. The meanings and patterns have been derived out the particular political and historical context of Pakistan in which the phenomenon of accountability appeared. It reveals four dimensional accountability phenomena in the contemporary perspective of Pakistan (1999-2008). In the historical and contemporary perspective of Pakistan, the internal and external mechanisms of accountability have been adopted. Broadly speaking, accountability mechanisms in Pakistan are conducted through different its facets such as political accountability, administrative accountability, social accountability and legal accountability. These different types of accountability mechanism provide framework which could be useful in adopting holistic approach and comparative analysis in grasping the issue of accountability in the contemporary perspective of Pakistan. Furthermore, the research has investigated the various aspects of fragile democratic accountability process in Pakistani society. This research helps in comprehending some interesting issues and significant questions. The present study seeks fill the gaps in the interpretive understanding of accountability issues by analyzing all its facets. This study also tries to explore the linkages among the various dimensions of accountability and their impacts on the polity.