Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The Senate witnessed heated debate about role of National Accountability (NAB) in the accountability process as the treasury lawmakers hailed the performance of the anti-corruption watchdog, while the opposition demanded transparency in its affairs.
Taking part in debate, Senator Waleed Iqbal said that Constitution of Pakistan guarantees the fundamental rights of the people and no one is allowed to violate these rights. It is a matter of fact that previous governments did not amend the NAB related laws in their tenures and none of the court in the country had termed them null and void.
Quoting to an article of magazine newspaper, Senator Waleed Iqbal said that NAB recovered Rs.141.5 billion in 2019 and its success rate was 68.8 percent during this period. Since the inception of the NAB in 1999, he said that it had recovered Rs. 470 billion and addressed 400,000 complaints out of 450,000 complaints. Senator Waleed Iqal said that 59 percent of the people in a survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan expressed satisfaction about the performance of the NAB.
Sentor Behramand Khan Tangi alleged that NAB was being used against the political opponents and demanded not to use it for victimization. Senator Tahir Bizenjo said that NAB officials should also disclose about their assets as Prime Minister and other Parliamentarians also do so. Senator Rubina Khalid said that government officials and businessmen can’t tolerate anything against their respect and it is very pinching for them to face false accusation. “We are not against accountability process but fairness should be ensured in matters of NAB,” she added.
Earlier, speaking on commenced motion presented by opposition claiming over government’s unprecedented crackdown on opposition workers, Sassusi Palijo of Pakistan People Party alleged the government was victimizing the political workers of opposition parties.
She said that accountability of only opposition members was being carried. Usman Khan Kakar said that unprecedented crackdown has been launched against the opposition workers. He called for supremacy of rule of law and constitution in the country. He said peaceful protest of the opposition’s right but workers of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) were arrested before rallies.
Manzoor Kakar while taking part in the debate, said Balochistan and Pakistan faced terrorist attacks and score of innocent people had lost their lives in these terrorists attacks in the province. He regretted that few people were politicizing the Mach tragic incident. Soon hearing about the tragic incident, CM Balochistan who was abroad, rushed to province and met with the protesting mourners, he said.
