Says JC will help to remove misunderstandings over jurisdiction of FIA and NAB in Sindh
The Sindh government has decided to request the federal government to constitute a Judicial Commission (JC) into the actions taken by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the province.
The provincial government deems the action of FIA and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Sindh a violation of their limits and jurisdiction.
In accordance with the statement issued from CM House on Saturday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had offered to Asif Ali Zardari that he was ready to constitute a JC into the raids and seizures of FIA in Sindh, if the latter (Zardari) desired so.
The spokesman of the Sindh government said: “Yes, the Sindh government would appreciate if Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, in order to keep the record straight, took a bold initiative to constitute a JC into the FIA raids in Sindh,” and added that FIA had taken away more than 15,000 files of KMC.
While responding to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s statement in which he took NAB to task over ‘harassment’ of government officials, former president Asif Ali Zardari had said on Tuesday that the NAB was not the only organisation troubling the respectable people but that the FIA was doing the same too. Zardari said that Sharif’s FIA was doing what the PM disliked about NAB.
The Sindh government’s statement said that the FIA had no authority and jurisdiction to conduct raids in the offices of the provincial government. It said that the provincial government has its own mechanism to take action against corruption in its departments. The FIA under a self-proclaimed authority has taken over the role of anti-corruption within the limits of the provincial government which is unconstitutional, illegal and against the spirit of the 18th amendment.
Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan through a press conference offered PPPP Chief Asif Ali Zardari that he was ready to constitute JC if Asif Zaradri and his party’s government in Sindh felt that FIA had overstepped its jurisdiction.
The Sindh government accepting his offer has requested the federal minister to constitute the judicial commission.
“The findings of the judicial commission would help remove misunderstandings developed on the issue of FIA and NAB jurisdiction and their actions in Sindh,” the spokesperson said, and added, “This is a very good, pragmatic and bold offer on the part of the federal minister for interior. The statement of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on NAB is also an acceptance of Sindh government’s stance on NAB.”
The spokesman hoped that the federal minister would soon constitute a JC to end the row between the provincial and federal governments on the issue of FIA limits.