Two top leaders of Pakistan’s parliament, Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani and Opposition Leader in National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah, on Wednesday called for across the board accountability and demanded formation of a monitoring committee to oversee the accountability drive in the country.
Addressing a gathering at the Federal Urdu University in Karachi, Senate Chairman Rabbani accused Pakistan’s civil-military bureaucracy of corruption, saying, “There should be accountability across the board without taking into consideration any sacred or holy cows.”
The Senate chairman said that while corrupt politicians have looted the country’s wealth, the bureaucracy has also been involved in the same practices.
Rabbani demanded that a separate committee or commission should be formed to monitor the performance of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). “Who will do the accountability of NAB, which does the accountability of all institutions?”
If a politician is tried in a special court then all others should also be tried in the same courts irrespective of their ranks or statuses, he added.
SHAH CALLS FOR PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION:
In a separate statement, NA Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah also called for formation of a parliamentary commission for accountability of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
Shah said that the institutions would not be allowed to work for defaming politicians, adding that the accountability institutions must also be held accountable.
He said he has often received complaints against NAB and FIA of revengeful acts and that they will convey the recommendation of forming a parliamentary committee to keep NAB and FIA in check to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The opposition leader said that there will be no need for leveling allegations against NAB once a parliamentary committee is there to keep a check. He said that the accountability should not be of politicians only.
Shah said the accountability sometimes comes under government control or just disappears. He said NAB got Ali Nawaz Shah and Khadim Shah punished for allegation of Rs 5 lakh each.
