ISLAMABAD:
A proposed accountability bill, pending in Parliament since 2009, is not good enough for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which wants a tougher stance on public accountability.
After weeks of negotiations, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Khursheed Shah handed over an amended draft of the proposed bill to the PML-N this month.
“We don’t want toothless accountability laws,” said PML-N MNA Anusha Rahman in a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice on Tuesday.
Significantly, the bill only refers to politicians, legislators and bureaucrats and does not aim to bring the judiciary or the defence services into the accountability net, according to an overview of the draft.
The PML-N also took exception to a section of the amended draft which recommends a maximum of three years, instead of seven years, for a person found to be involved in corruption.
“The proposed draft [of accountability laws] looks like old wine in a new bottle,” said a PML-N lawmaker. “We cannot agree to it.”
They demanded the government table a newly-drafted bill before the standing committee and develop a consensus.
The bill was first tabled in the NA in early 2009 and later forwarded to the NA panel on law and justice in April that year. The PML-N, however, fought tooth and nail against the controversial bill despite the panel’s approval, resulting in the draft legislation staying on hold since then.
Committee Chairperson Begum Nasim Chaudhry assured the members that the government will table the amended draft bill in the next meeting so that a consensus could be developed. “We want to get this proposed bill pass unanimously by Parliament,” observed Begum Chaudhry.
The panel also approved the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2012 regarding an increase in the family pension for the judges of superior courts. It also unanimously recommended an approval of the Validation Bill, 2012, which validates the acts, orders and instruments made and issued by the prime minister from April 26, 2012 to June 19, 2012. The committee also considered private member bills moved by MNA Khurram Jahangir Wattoo.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 26th, 2012.
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In democracy things are done by the consent of the majority. To seek consensus is cowardly and implies intention of inaction. PMLN should agree to the present bill and amend it when in power.
NRO beneficiaries are saying that they want accountability. Shame on shameless