ISLAMABAD – The government and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) agreed on Monday to dovetail all the accountability laws for various cadres into one consolidated law for across-the-board accountability. The PPP ministerial team led by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Babar Awan held talks on the accountability mechanism with the PML-N team led by Senator Ishaq Dar.
PML-N MNAs Zahid Hamid and Anusha Rehman were also at the meeting. Briefing the media after the meeting, the law minister said that their first discussions on accountability law have helped both the parties understand each other’s point of view. Ishaq Dar said that no time limited could be given for the legislation but both parties felt that it should be settled soon. He said a one-man judicial commission of Justice (r) Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan has been asked to investigate the hike in sugar prices last year that increased to Rs 120 per kilogram.
He said that the commission would be submitting its findings within 45 days. On the appointment of members of Election Commission of Pakistan, he said a parliamentary committee consisting of 12 parliamentarians has been finalised and names had been sent to the speaker of the National Assembly for approval and announcement. The committee will have four MNAs from the treasury, four from the opposition and two Senators each from both sides, he said.
Dar said progress on his party’s 10-point reforms agenda would be reviewed at the next meeting of the committee on Wednesday, where measures to address inflation would be discussed. Awan said the government side would share its economic vision with the PML-N team on Wednesday. Dar said an IMF team would meet Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday.
