Political parties in the Senate, including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) have jointly demanded amendments in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance.
Federal Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid while commenting on the resolution of Senator Saeed Ghani of PPP about performance of NAB said that the Bureau had received 3,691 complaints of which 96 per cent were disposed off.
He said the government believes in zero tolerance policy for finishing corruption from the country, adding that it also wants to bring reforms in the Bureau. The minister further said that the government had offered PPP to cooperate in implementation of the Charter of Democracy (CoD) several times but the party had not responded to the offer.
The minister further said a writ petition was filed with the court in 1999 terming NAB Ordinance a draconian law, adding that it needs serious reforms and the government is taking practical steps to improving it.
Earlier, Senator Saeed Ghani taking part in the debate said a case about misuse of power by former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani is under process while the authority itself appointed 12 officers against the law, giving them extension in their grades. He said that as per law, the NAB chairman has the power to appoint junior officials at senior grades for three months and he could also give them further extension.
He said that NAB officers at Director General designations are working without extensions and the authority is violating the rules of appointment of senior officials. “Meanwhile, the authority is filing cases against people for violating the same law,” he added.
Senator Farooq H Naek said NAB was started in 1996 but it was not brought before the parliament, adding that all the powers lay with the NAB chairman and there was no check on him.
He said that a committee of senators should be formed to review NAB laws within 15 days, adding that the chairman Senate has a big responsibility on his shoulders in this regard.
Senator Farhatullah Babar said NAB laws couldn’t end corruption from the country as it is used for enhancing political pressure on opponents. He said no one can escape the law if it was really working for eradicating corruption from the country.
Senator Javed Abbasi said the plea bargain powers should be taken back from the authority, adding that the institution should be made more powerful instead of its chairman.
Senators Nihal Hashmi, Maulana Attaur Rehman, Usman Kakar, Khalida Parveen, Babar Awan and Barrister Saif also participated in the debate and pointed out flaws in the NAB laws.
