Daily Times

The opposition and government parliamentarians in Upper House on Monday opposed and supported respectively the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) while Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwalla claimed that NAB has gone out of control and it will have to be reined in.

Taking part in the commenced motion, Saleem Mandviwala said that it was his responsibility to raise his voice against what’s wrong in the country. He said that if there are black sheep in NAB, they should be exposed as it would be beneficial for the institution itself. The Deputy Chairman Senate demanded that the assets and degrees of NAB officers be checked. He asked for NAB officers be held accountable as well as they are no different to any other citizen. Mandviwala also requested the Senate Chairman to refer the matter to the committee.

Saleem Mandviwala said that this issue must be taken seriously. He alleged that several people had died in NAB custody. “This is not about politics, everyone from the government and opposition benches should cooperate”, he added. He said that NAB has gone out of control and needs to be reined in, even the Prime Minister himself said the business community is concerned.

Mandviwala said that whenever the country’s anti-graft watchdog decides to launch an investigation into anyone’s businesses, it first releases the information to media outlets to defame people and initiates the probe later. “I have received more than a hundred complaints against the NAB, all in written form,” he said. “Many federal secretaries also called me to say that they do not wish to work with NAB anymore.” He added that these are some “very serious issues,” and they “must not be taken lightly.”

“The way forward for NAB must come from the Parliament. If the House becomes fearful, it would be clear that even the Parliament is powerless”, he said.

In response the PTI Senator Waleed Iqbal was of the view that the previous two government could not make any amendments in NAB laws and expressed his astonishment that why the opposition now interested to amend its law. Narrating quotation from Daily Times report, he said the NAB has so for recovered Rs141.5 billion only in 2019 and46 % its success rate.

While the PPP Senator Behramnd Tangi claimed that no one try to escape from accountability but it should be across the board. The current situation revealed that NAB is sub-part of PTI government and using it for political victimization. He suggested to amend the NAB laws.

Senator Faisal Javed has said the opposition always blackmailed Prime Minister Imran Khan on every issue including Kashmir dispute, Coronavirus pandemic and the FATF legislation. Responding to various motions moved by Opposition, he said oppositions’ entire blackmailing tactics are aimed at saving their looted money. He said PDM’s rallies are not meant for the public but for the opposition’s benefit alone.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready for dialogue only on public interest issues. He categorically stated that Prime Minister Imran Khan will not give NRO to the opposition leaders facing corruption cases at any cost. He said all the NAB cases against opposition leaders are old and PTI government did not register any case.

Rehman Malik claimed that NAB was used against opposition for political victimization. He stressed the need for rules of laws. He also challenged that PPP never took NRO in the past nor it demanded now from the government. However, he stressed for change the absolute laws through proper legislation. Several others senators also took part in the discussion.

Earlier, Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan has said that all the police personnel involved in the martyrdom of Usama Satti have been arrested. He said that a judicial inquiry has also been initiated. Condemning the brutal incident in the Senate, he said that he has visited the bereaved family in Islamabad today and assured them the provision of speedy justice.

The advisor also condemned the killings of innocent workers in Mach, Balochistan. He said the Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid has been assigned to investigate the matter.

Leader of the House Shahzad Wasim said that the Prime Minister discussed the matter with Chief Minister Balochistan and assured him that strict action will be taken against the culprits. He said the government with the help of the State Institution and people will defeat all terrorist elements.

Adviser on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar said the government can think of amending NAB laws in the best interest of the public instead of safeguarding any individual’s corruption. He was winding up the discussion on a motion moved by Leader of the Opposition Raja Zafar-ul-Haq and others regarding the egregious human rights and media trials committed by NAB in its victimization of targeted opposition workers in the Upper House of the Parliament today. The Adviser said that government is ready to sit with the Opposition for dialogue but only on public interest issues.

He said Pakistan’s accountability regime is in line with international democracies. He said that in India CBA deals such kind of cases in which they arrest people without warrants. Shahzad Akbar said Pakistan is bound to have an accountability bureau under the United Nations’ Convention on corruption. Latest rulings of FATF also suggest to make anti-corruption laws more stringent. NAB laws related to the arrest of accused have gone through judicial scrutiny.

He said according to a report of NAB, the bureau recovered Rs389 billion in last two years.

He said most of the cases against opposition’s leaders were registered in their governments vindicating PTI’s stance of no interference in NAB cases. He said it also rejects opposition’s accusation of political victimization in NAB cases. The Advisor said to improve the NAB laws and to halt the abuse of power, we introduced an ordinance but it lapsed in the house due to opposition’s non-cooperative attitude. The House will meet again today (Tuesday) at 3 p.m.