Opposition parties to challenge ordinance repeal in court

MPAs accuse PPP-led govt of repealing law to save its corrupt ministers, leaders

KARACHI: Opposition parties in the province have announced their collective decision to challenge the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 Sindh Repeal Bill, 2017 in court and initiating a movement against the government’s decision. The government passed on Monday a bill to repeal an ordinance that allowed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to function in the province.



This was announced by joint opposition parties during a press conference on Monday in front of the Sindh Assembly building. “We will not let anyone ruin our institutions. The Pakistan People Party [PPP] government has repealed the NAB ordinance to save its corrupt ministers and bureaucrats,” decried opposition leader Khawaja Izharul Hasan, adding that the advocate-general and law minister have misguided the assembly by presenting an incorrect definition of the Constitution. “We request the chief justices of the Supreme Court and Sindh High Court to take suo moto notice of this issue,” he said.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA Khurrum Sher Zaman accused PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari of protecting himself and the entire Sindh cabinet. “Dr Asim [Hussain], Sharjeel Inam Memon and other [current and former] ministers have looted billions of rupees and their cases are pending before NAB. They want to get a clean chit,” he alleged, adding that his party will start a movement against the repeal of the NAB ordinance.  Pakistan Muslim League - Functional parliamentary leader Nand Kumar called the legislation a ‘blot on the face of democracy in Pakistan’. “The Anti-Corruption Establishment’s performance is zero in the province and all these corruption cases will be referred to it to save corrupt politicians,” he said.



Sorath Thebo of Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz diverted the media’s attention towards the Rs1.25 billion tractor subsidy corruption case. "The government itself has accepted that this amount has been bungled by its officials. NAB started the inquiry, which will now be referred to the Anti-Corruption Establishment," she lamented, adding that many important cases have been pending before the Anti-Corruption Establishment for the last 20 years but little progress has been made. "This is yet another blunder of the PPP government. Its leaders consider public money as their own resources," she accused.