Govt fails to stop debate on JIT report in Senate
Upper house told new accountability law to replace NAB on the cards
Upper house told new accountability law to replace NAB on the cards. PHOTO: INP/FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The government on Wednesday failed to stop discussion on the Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report after Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani overruled Law Minister Zahid Hamid’s objection that the matter was sub judice.
“Any debate can be prejudicial to the outcome of the ongoing case in the Supreme Court,” the law minister said while raising objection to a debate in the upper house on the findings of the JIT probe into the offshore wealth of the ruling family.
However, the Senate chairman rejected his contention, drawing attention of the law minister towards the daily media talks by both parties to the case outside the court as well as TV talk shows running every evening.
“It would be absurdity on my part if I do not allow discussion on an issue being discussed by the entire public,” remarked Rabbani, also pointing out that the Supreme Court had made the JIT report public and it was available on its website.
Meanwhile, the government informed the upper house of parliament that a new accountability law was almost ready as the parliamentary penal working on it had already reached consensus on 53 of its 55 clauses.
The law minister, who heads the special parliamentary penal on the National Accountability Law, told the Senate: “The two clauses that are yet to be finalised relate to the definition of corruption and corrupt practices, and public office-holders.”
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Once the new law is passed, the incumbent National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will be replaced by a new corruption watchdog to be named the National Accountability Commission (NAC).
“NAC’s chairman and members could only be removed through a process ascribed for the removal of judges of the superior judiciary,” the minister said.
The formation of an independent accountability commission was one of the clauses of the charter of democracy that the late Benazir Bhutto and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had signed in 2006 when both were in exile.
A bill in this regard had been moved in parliament during the last PPP regime. The two parties could not agree on some contentious clauses of that bill which was later shelved. Last year resolutions were passed in both houses of parliament to form a special committee to draft such a law.
The minister said: “The proposed legislation provides for a sentence of 14 years if illegal gains are not recovered, and seven years if these are recovered.”
The minister, however, regretted that at a time when a national accountability law was about to be finalised, the Sindh Assembly had passed a resolution that the accountability law would not be applicable to Sindh, and had passed its own law instead.
Senate seeks greater constitutional role
The Senate chairman said: “There should be no sacred cows and there should be a single law and a single institution for accountability of all – be he a politician, a civil servant or a member of the judiciary or armed forces.”
Senators from different parties agreed to Rabbani’s observation and demanded of the government to bring a comprehensive law.
DHA matters
PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar also raised the issue of corruption in DHA Lahore and Rawalpindi. Law Minister Zahid Hamid told the house that three persons had been arrested in the DHA Lahore scam -- including a brigadier.
He said red warrants had been issued against two proclaimed offenders – including Kamran Kayani, the brother of former army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, and Tariq Siddqui.
Cyber Crimes Law
The house also discussed purported misuse of cyber crimes law. Members from different parties claimed that the law was being misused.
State Minister for interior Baleeghur Rehman rejected such claims and said the government had no ulterior motive behind the law as “it is purely meant to discourage the elements who are misusing the cyberspace”.
He said after the law came into force, the number of complaints was increasing, adding the number of complaints was 1,782 in 2014; 4,361 in 2015; and 9,075 in 2016; rising further in 2017.
Rabbani said under the law, the government was bound to present a half-yearly report in parliament, but not a single report was presented to the house since the passage of the law. He directed the interior ministry to present the report in both houses of parliament within one month.
The minister said the reports would be compiled within a week, and presented in both houses.
State Minister for Information Technology Anusha Rehman Khan also tuned up in the house, and said the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was the implementing body, and parliament can summon them anytime if it deemed it necessary.
According to Anusha, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is only allowed to manage the content. She also dispelled the impression that the government wanted to shut the internet or social media through the law, saying “there is no truth in it”.
The government on Wednesday failed to stop discussion on the Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report after Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani overruled Law Minister Zahid Hamid’s objection that the matter was sub judice.
“Any debate can be prejudicial to the outcome of the ongoing case in the Supreme Court,” the law minister said while raising objection to a debate in the upper house on the findings of the JIT probe into the offshore wealth of the ruling family.
However, the Senate chairman rejected his contention, drawing attention of the law minister towards the daily media talks by both parties to the case outside the court as well as TV talk shows running every evening.
“It would be absurdity on my part if I do not allow discussion on an issue being discussed by the entire public,” remarked Rabbani, also pointing out that the Supreme Court had made the JIT report public and it was available on its website.
Meanwhile, the government informed the upper house of parliament that a new accountability law was almost ready as the parliamentary penal working on it had already reached consensus on 53 of its 55 clauses.
The law minister, who heads the special parliamentary penal on the National Accountability Law, told the Senate: “The two clauses that are yet to be finalised relate to the definition of corruption and corrupt practices, and public office-holders.”
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Once the new law is passed, the incumbent National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will be replaced by a new corruption watchdog to be named the National Accountability Commission (NAC).
“NAC’s chairman and members could only be removed through a process ascribed for the removal of judges of the superior judiciary,” the minister said.
The formation of an independent accountability commission was one of the clauses of the charter of democracy that the late Benazir Bhutto and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had signed in 2006 when both were in exile.
A bill in this regard had been moved in parliament during the last PPP regime. The two parties could not agree on some contentious clauses of that bill which was later shelved. Last year resolutions were passed in both houses of parliament to form a special committee to draft such a law.
The minister said: “The proposed legislation provides for a sentence of 14 years if illegal gains are not recovered, and seven years if these are recovered.”
The minister, however, regretted that at a time when a national accountability law was about to be finalised, the Sindh Assembly had passed a resolution that the accountability law would not be applicable to Sindh, and had passed its own law instead.
Senate seeks greater constitutional role
The Senate chairman said: “There should be no sacred cows and there should be a single law and a single institution for accountability of all – be he a politician, a civil servant or a member of the judiciary or armed forces.”
Senators from different parties agreed to Rabbani’s observation and demanded of the government to bring a comprehensive law.
DHA matters
PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar also raised the issue of corruption in DHA Lahore and Rawalpindi. Law Minister Zahid Hamid told the house that three persons had been arrested in the DHA Lahore scam -- including a brigadier.
He said red warrants had been issued against two proclaimed offenders – including Kamran Kayani, the brother of former army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, and Tariq Siddqui.
Cyber Crimes Law
The house also discussed purported misuse of cyber crimes law. Members from different parties claimed that the law was being misused.
State Minister for interior Baleeghur Rehman rejected such claims and said the government had no ulterior motive behind the law as “it is purely meant to discourage the elements who are misusing the cyberspace”.
He said after the law came into force, the number of complaints was increasing, adding the number of complaints was 1,782 in 2014; 4,361 in 2015; and 9,075 in 2016; rising further in 2017.
Rabbani said under the law, the government was bound to present a half-yearly report in parliament, but not a single report was presented to the house since the passage of the law. He directed the interior ministry to present the report in both houses of parliament within one month.
The minister said the reports would be compiled within a week, and presented in both houses.
State Minister for Information Technology Anusha Rehman Khan also tuned up in the house, and said the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was the implementing body, and parliament can summon them anytime if it deemed it necessary.
According to Anusha, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is only allowed to manage the content. She also dispelled the impression that the government wanted to shut the internet or social media through the law, saying “there is no truth in it”.