New NAB ordinance an NRO to Imran, says Shehbaz

Sherry Rehman says the third amendment ordinance in a month is new evidence of govt's malice

LAHORE:

Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif lampooned the government on Tuesday over the latest amendment to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), terming it a clear “manifestation of wicked mindset” of the government.

Writing on the microblogging website, Twitter, Shehbaz, also the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said that through the ordinance on Monday, Prime minister Imran Khan had given himself an NRO.

The NRO refers to the National Reconciliation Ordinance issued by former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf in 2008, to grant political amnesty to several opposition leaders and activists. The law was later struck down by the Supreme Court.

On Monday, the government took another U-turn on the issue of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman’s removal by omitting the forum provided under Article 209 of the Constitution – the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and instead gave such powers to the president.

“IK [Imran Khan] has given himself & his govt an NRO through the 3rd amendment in NAB Ordinance. If there was any doubt about how NAB-Niazi nexus has operated to victimize Opposition parties, this amendment is clear manifestation of wicked mindset. Sheer political vendetta,” Shehbaz tweeted.

Under the original NAO, there was no clear procedure regarding removal of the NAB chairman. Subsequently, the government issued an ordinance on October 6, significantly amending the NAO 1999.

The ordinance had said that the SJC would be the forum regarding removal of the NAB chairman.

In separate tweets, Senator Sherry Rehman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) slammed the government for promulgating the NAB amendment ordinance for a third time in a month by “completely bypassing parliament”.

“This is the 3rd time in a month that the NAB Ordinance has been amended directly by the Ordinance factory, completely bypassing parliament. Making selective laws to protect their cronies while “accountability” is reserved for political rivals in opposition,” she said.

“Aik nahi doe Pakistan [not one but two Pakistans],” she said in a series of tweets. “The NAB Amendment Ordinance is new evidence of the government's malice. The previous NAB ordinance was to provide relief to the government. This ordinance is to target the opposition,” she added.

The PPP senator said that the opposition parties demanded justice, and not relief, adding that the party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari had never sought any relief from dictators. She also questioned why NAB was silent on the allegations against the government.

“Why is NAB silent on corruption and fraud cases of this government? Who has been arrested by NAB in BRT [Bus Rapid Transport], sugar scandal, Billion Tree [tsunami] scandal, LNG and other cases?” wrote the PPP leader.