PPP declares NAB ordinance ‘mother of all NROs’

Bilawal says even PTI govt agrees with his father Zardari that ‘NAB and economy can’t run together’

ISLAMABAD: Amid scathing criticism at the newly promulgated National Accountability Bureau Amendment Ordinance 2019, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has declared the law “mother of all NROs”.

This was said by the party’s Punjab president Qamar Zaman Kaira in a press conference on Sunday. Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed and Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar among other party leaders were also present on the occasion.

The ordinance — promulgated by President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday — limits the sweeping powers of NAB to act against any individual accused of financial corruption at will. It offers more protection to public office-holders or government officials while at the same time excludes several financial sectors from the purview of NAB.

Meanwhile, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, taking to Twitter, has also fired broadside at the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying the ordinance is “proof that even the government agrees with [former] president [Asif Ali] Zardari that NAB and our economy can’t run together”.

He said instead of “clearly biased efforts”, the government should work with the opposition on the matter. “Do your job and legislate. #AbolishNAB, strengthen anti-corruption laws and end this farce,” he demanded.

Latest NAB ordinance is proof even government agrees with President Zardari, NAB & our economy can’t run together. Instead of clearly biased efforts the government should work with opposition. do your job & legislate. #AbolishNAB, strengthen anti-corruption laws & end this farce.

— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) December 29, 2019

Speaking at today’s news conference, Kaira said, “This is another U-turn by Imran Khan and his last U-turn is also just around the corner which will be the last of his political career”.

He said the anti-corruption watchdog is being barred from carrying out accountability of judiciary, security forces, bureaucracy and the rulers. “Now, it can only conduct accountability of two opposition parties [PPP and PML-N],” he maintained.

The PPP leader thanked Rawalpindi’s police for making good security arrangements for the Liaquat Bagh rally, held on Friday to mark Benazir Bhutto’s 12th death anniversary. However, he regretted that some of the party workers were booked in fake cases and demanded swift withdrawal of FIR registered against them.

Kaira also lashed out at the government for allegedly erecting hurdles, saying the party had to approach the high court for holding the December 27 rally.

'PM Imran is not scared of accountability', Firdous defends NAB ordinance

Before the death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Bilawal would visit eight districts of Punjab and continue mobilising the masses against the ‘selected’ government, said Kaira.

“Opposition will sit together to analyse the ordinance which [PM] Imran Khan has introduced for his cronies and then chalk out a joint strategy on the matter,” he announced.

The government’s move to amend the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999 through a presidential decree didn’t go down well with the opposition parties who have called it an attempt by the ruling party to shield its own corrupt leaders from accountability.

The Rahbar Committee, the decision-making panel of all opposition parties, rejected the newly promulgated ordinance and demanded that the matter be discussed in parliament.

The NAB ordinance was also challenged by a citizen at the Supreme Court on Saturday.

Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi moved a petition at the Supreme Court’s Karachi registry. “All citizens are equal in the Constitution of Pakistan,” stated Naqvi. “The amended ordinance is a violation of the Constitution and the fundamental rights of citizens.”