Sindh govt to take action if NAB intervenes, says Murad

NAUSHAHROFEROZE: Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, talking to the media in Nausharoferoze, on Sunday said that if NAB would not stop taking action in Sindh government departments, then they will take action against NAB.

"We are not against NAB, which alongwith FIA can continue its process of investigation in the federal departments in Sindh. But NAB has no constitutional and legal right to intervene in the administrative affairs of the Sindh government."

He asked NAB to stop action against the Sindh government departments after the new bill, which was passed by the Sindh Assembly, was promulgated. He said confiscation of the record of departments by NAB during its action was affecting the delivery of services to the people of Sindh. He said that health and education departments are provincial subjects, so now the intervention of NAB in these departments would not be tolerated. He said that they will protest against the governor Sindh if he did not focus on his constitutional duties. He said the governor is a representative of the federal government but dictation to Sindh government and repealing the bills passed by the Sindh Assembly was not in his domain.

Shah referred to the objections raised over the NAB Ordinance 1999 Repeal Bill 2017, saying no one would have issues if the Sindh governor continued to play his constitutional role. He said that the protest by Nawaz Sharif was his fundamental as well as constitutional right but he should have to avoid confrontation with institutions. He said that in the light of the results of the new census, they will bring administrative changes according to population growth and will form new municipal and town committees. Taking notice of the van inferno in Garden Karachi, the CM directed the transport minister to constitute an inquiry committee in this regard.  

News desk adds: Earlier, Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair had refused to sign the bill that called for the NAB law to be repealed. However, Shah’s statements have come a day after a senior spokesperson of NAB said the anti-graft body will continue its operations in Sindh as per the NAB Ordinance, 1999.

The NAB ignored the provincial government’s latest legislation barring it from working in the province. The bureau’s senior spokesperson told ‘The News’ that NAB is not subservient to any provincial law and thus will continue its operation in Sindh. He added that NAB is operating under a federal statute and thus its authority and jurisdiction could not be curtailed by a provincial law.