National Accountability Bill: NA panel fails to win over the opposition
PML-N expresses reservations, calls it ‘toothless authority’.
ISLAMABAD:
A parliamentary panel on Monday met behind closed doors to discuss the newly introduced The National Accountability Commission Bill 2012 but fell short of convincing the opposition to come onboard.
Law Minister Farooq H Naek said that the National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice had examined the entire bill, adding that the committee would meet again on November 14 to address those clauses of the bill on which consensus could not be evolved.
However, the main opposition party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has reservations over the bill in its entirety.
Criticising the bill, PML-N’s Zahid Hamid told reporters that the proposed commission is nothing more than a toothless authority as it fails to empower the commission.
“The commission would not have the authority to freeze property (of the accused) out of the country,” he added.
Hamid also expressed concerns of his party over the fact that the commission would not have the authority to investigate cases older than 10 years.
According to the new bill, the chairman of the commission can either be a retired Supreme Court judge or someone who has served as a grade-22 federal government officer.
In the previous bill, the opposition had insisted the chairman be a retired Supreme Court judge.
The government has tabled the new bill during the last month after Standing committee on Law and Justice could not evolve consensus over The National Accountability Commission Act, 2010.
A parliamentary panel on Monday met behind closed doors to discuss the newly introduced The National Accountability Commission Bill 2012 but fell short of convincing the opposition to come onboard.
Law Minister Farooq H Naek said that the National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice had examined the entire bill, adding that the committee would meet again on November 14 to address those clauses of the bill on which consensus could not be evolved.
However, the main opposition party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has reservations over the bill in its entirety.
Criticising the bill, PML-N’s Zahid Hamid told reporters that the proposed commission is nothing more than a toothless authority as it fails to empower the commission.
“The commission would not have the authority to freeze property (of the accused) out of the country,” he added.
Hamid also expressed concerns of his party over the fact that the commission would not have the authority to investigate cases older than 10 years.
According to the new bill, the chairman of the commission can either be a retired Supreme Court judge or someone who has served as a grade-22 federal government officer.
In the previous bill, the opposition had insisted the chairman be a retired Supreme Court judge.
The government has tabled the new bill during the last month after Standing committee on Law and Justice could not evolve consensus over The National Accountability Commission Act, 2010.