PML-N MPs demands NAB chief’s resignation

Parliamentary party urges leadership to make APC agenda broad-based and meaningful

LAHORE:

Lawmakers of the PML-N – the biggest opposition party – have called on the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal to hand in his resignation in view of a recent Supreme Court order.

At the PML-N’s parliamentary party meeting held at the Parliament House on Tuesday, the party’s lawmakers passed a number of resolutions including one which said the apex court’s order on bail appeals of PML-N leaders – Khawaja Saad Rafique and Khawaja Salman Rafique – is victory of truth.

“NAB chairman should resign… NAB has lost credibility as an institution,” the resolution said.

A division bench of the apex court had granted bail to the PML-N leaders in March. The bench issued its 83-page detailed order on July 20, raising serious questions about conduct of NAB, the top graft buster. The order said the accountability laws are “successfully” employed in the country as tools to change political loyalties and for splintering and fracturing political parties.

"Pygmies were selected, nurtured, promoted, and brought to prominence and power. People with notorious backgrounds and criminal credentials were thrust to rule us in various capacities with predictable results,” it said.

According to the court, "NAB’s conduct throughout this case [against the PML-N leaders] is a clear manifestation of their utter disregard for law, fair play, equity and propriety".

"The bureau seems reluctant in proceeding against people on one side of the political divide even in respect of financial scams of massive proportion while those on the other side are being arrested and incarcerated for months and years without providing any sufficient cause…

“Even when the law mandates investigations to be concluded expeditiously and trial to be concluded within 30 days… investigation is often not concluded for months and cases remain pending for years," the court had observed, referring to frequent allegations of NAB being used for political engineering.

Broadening scope of APC

The parliamentary party meeting also called upon the PML-N leadership to make agenda of a proposed all parties conference (APC) broad-based and meaningful. The lawmakers also decided to give tough time to the ruling PTI in and outside of the parliament.

The country’s two major opposition parties – the PML-N and the PPP – on Monday agreed to convene an APC immediately after Eidul Azha – which is likely to be celebrated on July 31 – to devise a joint strategy against the PTI led federal government.

The two parties had also agreed to form “a joint action committee” to formulate a common strategy against the government. The meeting had also discussed the APC’s agenda, which will include coronavirus pandemic, inflation, economic and financial situation of the country as well as flour, sugar and medicine scandals.

It had also held discussion on the possible amendments to NAB laws, allegedly vindictive actions by the government and the PPP’s proposal to bring a no-confidence motion against National Assembly speaker.

The parliamentary party meeting jointly presided by Raja Zafarul Haq and Khawaja Asif also condemned Indian atrocities in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK) and India violation of the ceasefire agreement. It also welcomed the decision to hold timely election on Gilgit-Baltistan region.