The claims of accountability laws being a ‘black law’ were rejected by the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Chairman Javed Iqbal. He also crticisied the former governments for not taking an action against the legislation if they considered it unacceptable.
Iqbal addressed a gathering in Multan and said that the institution was working as per the law and the top accountability “could not be dictated”.
He further talked about NAB being termed ‘black law’ and said that the previous rulers who are now criticising NAB should have taken a step against NAB when they were in power. “They are now being hypocritical and it is convenient to object now that those who ruled before were being prosecuted under the same law.”
He responded, “The Supreme Court would have abolished the accountability watchdog had it been practising under ‘black’ law.”
Iqbal defended the top watchdog of the country and said that NAB is working according to the constitutional framework and the major aim of the institution is to bring back the nation’s looted money. He kept blaming corruption and further said, “The country would not be knee-deep in debts if past leaders had not multiplied their wealth through illegal means”.
“The NAB and corruption cannot go hand-in-hand,” he said taking an apparent jibe at former president Asif Ali Zardari who in a previous interview had stated that NAB and economy cannot function together.
On plea bargains, the bureau’s chairman maintained that it needs improvement. He said that a common man’s interest could not be served without thorough laws in regards to striking plea deals.