Daily Times

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is a ‘black law’ introduced by former military dictator General (r) Pervez Musharraf.

“If corruption is to be fought, a law will have to be introduced which is free of political vendetta,” Bilawal said at the conclusion of a train march in Larkana in the wee hours of Thursday.

The PPP’s train march titled ‘Caravan-e-Bhutto’ had left Karachi Cantt Railway Station on Tuesday and reached Larkana after 40 hours of journey. Bilawal addressed the party workers at 25 railway stations during his journey from Karachi to Larkana.

On his arrival at the Larkana Railway Station, Bilawal said those who raised the slogan of ‘change’ are now afraid of even the name of Bhutto. He said certain forces believed that they would ultimately eliminate the PPP and the ideology of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto but they could not. He said those forces thought that after ZA Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, PPP will be finished. “But they were mistaken, and PPP is still there,” he said, adding that due to the closure of airports, he has reached Larkana via train to attend the 40th death anniversary of Shaheed Bhutto.

“We will set up an accountability institution under which politicians, judges and generals will be made accountable and nobody will be spared,” he said, adding that with transparent accountability, democracy will strengthen but accountability on the basis of political rivalry is not acceptable. He said money laundering and fake accounts case was prepared in Sindh but now it will be heard in Rawalpindi. “They want to repeat the history,” Bilawal said. “We have an objection to it,” he added, and asked what message do they want to give after arresting custodian and speaker of Sindh Assembly from Islamabad.

Lashing out at the present government, he said that those who promised to build five million houses for the poor people of the country have in fact deprived them of shelter. He said all eyes are now on PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari. He said the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) is for terrorists, Musharraf and Aleema Khan. “The rulers want to end 1993 law and introduce one-unit and they also intend to roll back the 18th Amendment to ruin the provincial autonomy,” he said.

Bilawal said accountability should not be on the basis of Lahore and Larkana. He lamented that a brigadier had recently committed suicide due to NAB’s ‘atrocities’.