Govt. Ready To Amend NAB Laws For More Transparency; Says Chaudhry Fawad Hussain

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Wednesday said the government would welcome the recommendations of the Opposition to amend laws of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for the only purpose of bringing more transparency into its affairs and proceedings.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Oct, 2018 ) :Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Wednesday said the government would welcome the recommendations of the Opposition to amend laws of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for the only purpose of bringing more transparency into its affairs and proceedings.

Giving a statement on floor of the House in National Assembly, the minister said that not even a single induction has been made by the incumbent government in the NAB.

Chairman NAB, he said, was appointed after mutual consultation between the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and ex-Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah. The investigation set up was also nominated by these two personalities and the present government has neither lodged any of the case against Opposition nor involved in prosecution, he maintained.

The prosecution is working very much independently, he said adding the government would welcome the recommendations of the government to ensure more transparency in the NAB's affairs through amendment in its laws.

The government had difference and unanimity of views with the Opposition but preference would be given to move ahead collectively, he said and appreciated the Speaker National Assembly for issuing production order of Leader of the Opposition in the requisitioned session on which cost of Rs. 100 million would be incurred.

He said the government is the custodian of each penny of the people and no embezzlement would be allowed in it. The minister said that present PML-N came into being in tenure of former dictator Zia-ul-Haq and their tenures from 1981 to onward have several precedents of victimizing others through enjoying full powers.

"Their political philosophy is victimization and their tenure starts from execution of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto," he maintained.

Ch. Fawad Hussain said that NAB started working in 1997 and Saif-ur-Rehman was appointed as its In-Charge with task of victimizing political opponents.

" Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was victimized through it and FIRs were lodged in each district against their political opponents till the end of their tenure in 1999," he maintained.

He said that PML-N spared not even as single opponent by misusing its power and former Chief Minister Punjab made a phone call to Justice (Retd) Malik Qayyum to increase the imprisonment period of political opponent.

Recalling the previous tenure of PML-N, the minister said that 32 cases were registered against the leadership of PTI including eight terrorism related cases while 347 FIRs were lodged against its workes. Almost half of the present cabinet had to face cases in previous tenure of PML-N, he added.

The minister said those who started with Ittefaq Foundry in 1981 have a business group of seven companies at present. He asked the Opposition not to get worry on statement of Prime Minister regarding arrest of all those involved in plundering national kitty.The Leader of the Opposition claiming to say `good-bye' to politics in case of any property owned by his children outside the country should also apply same principle for his brother, he maintained.

The minister said that relations of Pakistan are strengthening with Turkey, China, United Arab Emirates, Iran and Saudi Arabia. The relationships with other countries are beyond personalities, he added. He said that Opposition should have courage to pursue the Asghar Khan case so that culprits into this case may be punished.