Opposition leaders chide PM over NAB

SUKKUR/ ISLAMABAD:

The prime minister’s recent advice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to work ‘responsibly’ has not gone down well with the opposition parties.

The PPP and the PTI have apparently come together to denounce the ruling PML-N for meddling in the affairs of the top corruption watchdog.



Addressing a gathering in Bahawalpur on February 16, PM Nawaz Sharif had cautioned NAB to take up cases only after thorough initial investigation and not to harass anyone.

While Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid insisted on Saturday the accountability process would continue keeping all parties in the loop, the opposition termed the PM’s advice a veiled threat against the corruption bureau following recent raids on government offices and residences of officials in Punjab.

Speaking to journalists in Sukkur, Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Khursheed Shah said there was no need to overreact to the actions of NAB in Punjab.

He advised the prime minister to desist from issuing such statements. “Actions should be taken against corrupt elements no matter in what part of the country they are,” he said. “All institutions are accountable to the parliament, as it is the mother of all institutions.”

Shah admitted some tweaks were needed in the operational procedures of NAB, but it was unfair to blame the whole authority for some mistakes. “Elimination of corruption is vital for a prosperous society,” he said. “[But] after two years of interrogation, declaring someone innocent is not right.”

Shah also accused India of levelling baseless allegations against Pakistan over the Pathankot airbase attack and urged PM Nawaz to take parliament into confidence over the ongoing investigations. “The prime minister must bring real facts before the nation,” he added.

Imran joins debate

In Islamabad, Imran Khan also condemned the ruling party for threatening the corruption watchdog for taking action in Punjab, saying the “government has become a stumbling block in NAB’s work”.

“We will staunchly oppose any move of the federal government to clip the wings of NAB,” the PTI chairman told a news conference at his Bani Gala residence.



He recalled that he had been against the appointment of NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry after consultations between the prime minister and the opposition leader, as “both parties have cases pending in NAB and it is a clear conflict of interest”. However, he added despite his opposition to the incumbent chairman, NAB should be appreciated for its good work. Imran also announced the formation of a committee of jurists to look into the controversial amendments in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Ehtsab Commission Act and urged stakeholders to come up with suggestions.

Rejoinder

The information minister, however, said the accountability process would continue but it would not be allowed to impede the country’s development. Almost all political parties, he said, expressed reservations over NAB and its operational methods and they would be addressed in consultations with the aggrieved parties. Rashid also criticised Imran for backtracking on his opposition to the NAB chairman’s appointment.”Imran is today appreciating Qamar Zaman, whose appointment as the NAB chief he had termed ‘muk muka’ back then,” he said.

He pointed out that NAB had itself admitted deficits in its system. “If Imran thinks we are wrong, he should listen to the NAB chairman then.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2016.