Dragging their feet: Accountability bill stalled, again
The decision of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice comes 30 months after it was entrusted with the bill, as the committee’s chairperson Begum Naseem Chaudhry insisted that a consensus must be developed prior to the presentation of the bill.
Several attempts to move the bill forward have been made in the past – on July 6, the committee said it would present the Holders of Public Offices (Accountability) Bill 2009 before the lower house irrespective of the PML-N’s stance.
On November 16, the PML-N had submitted a formal request to convene a meeting of the committee for a discussion over the bill while expressing fears about its fate.
On Thursday however, Pakistan Peoples Party member Begum Naseem refused to entertain the opposition’s stance and ended the committee meeting abruptly.
During the meeting, PML-N requested that the bill be sent to parliament for a vote with their dissenting notes, but the chairperson insisted that that a consensus bill would be appropriate for the purpose. She added that the committee had already accepted 62 amendments to the bill proposed by the opposition.
Begum Naseem also said that the spirit behind this bill was to make it a real accountability law, rather a revenge law as was done in ‘dictatorial regimes’.
PML-N reaction
The opposition made it clear however that they were not satisfied with the bill as it stood. Party member Saira Afzal Tarar said that the PML-N was not ready to accept a toothless law for accountability. The credibility of politicians is at stake due to multiple corruption charges and an effective accountability law will rectify public perceptions, she added.
PML-N member Zahid Hamid said that the government did not appear serious about passing the new accountability bill, as the chairperson was ‘pressurising’ PML-N members to change their mind.
Objections to the bill
The PML-N had submitted four dissenting notes on the government bill regarding a new accountability law. The objections relate to the retrospective applicability of this law, eligibility for appointing the head of the proposed accountability commission, “immunity” proposed for a holder of public office for any wrongdoing committed in “good faith” and repeal of the clause allowing the government to ask foreign countries to freeze accounts and assets of a person involved in any corruption case.
On the appointing of a serving judge of the Supreme Court for the accountability body as proposed by the PML-N, the chairperson said “it was against national judicial policy.”
The PML-N members at the meeting were seen perturbed over the abrupt end to the gathering when the chairperson wound up proceedings and said the committee would meet again to evolve a consensus on the bill.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2011.
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There will be no progress on this accountability bills.. I wish our politicians and leaders fear God, if they believe in God..