Zardari and accountability contradict each other, says Chaudhry Nisar

It seems impossible to get a good accountability bill passed under Zardari’s leaderships: Nisar

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and accountability are two contradicting things, said Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Thursday.

Speaking to media in Islamabad, the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) leader said it seems impossible to get a good accountability bill passed under President Zardari’s leaderships.

Accusing Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of trying to sabotage the upcoming elections by bringing up the issue of local government, Nisar said that Zardari has a one-point agenda and that is to get re-elected.

“PPP is using public money for this purpose,” he alleged.

Nisar further claimed that if the new local bodies system is implemented, local government administrators will control the elections at town level.

“It’s [local government issue] a well thought out strategy on the part of PPP,” he said, suggesting the new system was a means to rig upcoming general elections.

Referring to the recent talks between the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), Nisar said that the ruling party has contacted them with a new proposal for the accountability bill.

“I’m sure all the points in this new proposal are old ones and they won’t be acceptable to us as earlier,” he said.

Calling the new proposal weak and aimless, the opposition leader said the bill cannot do anything against the corrupt. He added that the points suggested by the PML-N were not included in the draft.

Calling PPP a party that does not listen to the Supreme Court, honour its commitments and constitutional obligations, Nisar  questioned how can PML-N negotiate with such a party.

Talks on accountability bill continue

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) on Thursday agreed to continue talks on proposed Accountability Bill.

The decision was taken in a meeting of the PPP and PML-N leadership in Islamabad.

Syed Khursheed Shah and Naveed Qamar participated in the meeting on behalf of the Pakistan Peoples Party while Ishaq Dar, Pervaiz Rashid and Khawja Asif represented the PML-N.

Talking to media after the meeting, Khursheed Shah said that government wants to have the Bill passed just like the 18th, 19th and 20th amendments were. He said all the stakeholders would be taken into confidence.

Federal Minister for Law and Justice Farooq H Naek, said thepassage of Bill is very important and special measures would be taken during the proposed Bill to avoid discrimination.

Senior PML-N member Senator Ishaq Dar said that the bill was a part of the Charter of Democracy agreed between the PPP and PML-N prior to the 2008 general elections.