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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Pandemonium erupts in NA

In the course of exchange of harsh remarks from both sides, the opposition leader, Shahbaz Sharif, while taking the floor demanded of the Speaker to issue production orders of Khawaja Saad Rafique.

By Muhammad Anis
December 13, 2018

ISLAMABAD: Members from the opposition and treasury benches in the National Assembly on Wednesday traded harsh remarks over the arrest of Saad Rafique as the Lower House of the Parliament fell short of completing order of the day.

As former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the arrest of Saad undermined the dignity of the National Assembly, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry maintained that the parliamentarians could not be given the licence to commit corrupt practices. “The opposition is doing no favour with the system by making the accountability process controversial,” he said.

Another cabinet member Shafqat Mahmood asked the opposition not to use parliament as shield to avoid accountability when Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has been levelling baseless allegations against the opposition leaders.

In the course of exchange of harsh remarks from both sides, the opposition leader, Shahbaz Sharif, while taking the floor demanded of the Speaker to issue production orders of Khawaja Saad Rafique.

The parliamentarians from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) also joined hands with the PML-N in protest as the former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Syed Naveed Qamar also alleged that NAB was being used for political victimization of opponents.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Abbasi said the opposition was ready to face accountability and also offered himself for the purpose but said that there should be equal treatment with both the government and opposition leaders. “But the way opposition was being targeted is disastrous for democracy and the country,” he said adding arresting leaders of opposition parties gives an impression that they were culprits.

He also questioned if the opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif could be arrested on corruption charges which could not be proved then why leader of the House Imran Khan should not be nabbed in helicopter case, Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak in Malam Jabba case and Abdul Aleem on charges against him. “If standard set for arrest of opposition leaders is also applied on federal cabinet then 80% of them will land in jail,” he said.

He pointed out that the Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif was arrested by NAB but so far no case could be registered against him. “We do not afraid of accountability but justice must be seen to be done,” he said adding the NAB was being used for victimisation of the opposition,” he said.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi asked the Speaker to save members of the National Assembly from political victimisation. He also regretted that the Speaker should have apprised the House of arrest of Khawaja Saad Rafique during the proceedings on Tuesday.

On that the Chair told the House that Khawaja Saad Rafique who is Member of National Assembly was arrested by the NAB along with other accused persons in Ashiana Housing scheme case.

He also regretted that 14-day physical remand of Shahbaz Sharif was awarded whereas such treatment is not meted out to a person accused of murder saying that Hamza Shahbaz was stopped at Lahore airport from proceeding to London whereas Zulfi Bokhari was allowed to accompany Prime Minister Imran Khan for performance of Umra despite the fact his name was on the Exit Control List (ECL).

Shahid Khaqan calling for accountability of all the parliamentarians said the process should be started from him. Responding to the points of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on the arrest of Khawaja Saad Rafique, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the opposition is not doing any favour to the system by trying to make the accountability process controversial.

He said the opposition members while fearing their arrest by NAB were raising hue and cry in the House. “The PTI government will have no right to remain in power if it fails to recover looted money from these tainted people,” he said. He said NAB was an independent institution and it was working sans any influence adding the courts and the NAB should be allowed to perform duties as per their mandate.

Fawad Chaudhry also made it clear that the government would not interfere in the accountability process initiated by National Accountability Bureau and other institutions against the corrupt elements adding those who plundered the national exchequer over the last ten years will have to be held accountable.

About bringing improvement in the NAB laws, the Information Minister said a task force headed by the Law Minister had been constituted which also held sittings with the opposition on the matter.

The Information Minister pointed out that the current set up in NAB including its chairman was appointed by the previous government while the cases against PML-N leaders were also registered when Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi were the chief executives of the country.

Information Minister recalled that persons who were involved in money laundering were given key posts of chairmen of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

Former Prime Minister and PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf termed NAB law as black law saying the same law was used by Pervez Musharraf to change loyalties of nine PPP parliamentarians who took shape of patriots.

Syed Naveed Qamar said the opposition’s parliamentarians sitting in front rows were being arrested and targeted fearing that one day the National Assembly session would have to be convened inside the Adiala Jail.

He said that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was being asked questions by FIA which related to the period when he was one-year old. The PPP parliamentarian said the incumbent government wanted to take the country to one-party rule, the policy which is followed by dictator during martial laws when the whole opposition is sent behind bar. “Neither this is politics nor accountability,” he observed.

Naveed Qamar said when no evidence was found, the arrested persons were being forced to become approver. Sardar Akhtar Mengal observed that the economic corruption along with political corruption had brought the country at verge of disaster. “Those who interfere in parties’ politics and play role in changing loyalties should also be held accountable,” he said.

He was of the view that it should also be clarified as to which institution was supreme. “The people use their rights of vote but results are managed by some supreme institutions,” he alleged adding those stamp ballot papers and burn ballot boxes should also be held accountable.

State Minister for Communications Murad Saeed claimed that seven Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) parliamentarians had approached him for a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

“Seven PML-N leaders approached me seeking an NRO, but no will get it,” he told the National Assembly while responding to the points raised by former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on the arrest of Khawaja Saad Rafique and other opposition leaders.

When asked by the opposition to name those who had approached him, Murad said, “The first person who approached me for an NRO is present in the Parliament at this time.” At the same time, he proposed that the House should pass a resolution that any parliamentarian committing corruption should be hanged at the D-Chowk.

“The assets of such people should be auctioned off at the D-Chowk and they should also be hanged there,” he proposed. Meanwhile, Minister for Power Omar Ayub Khan told the House that there was no electricity loadshedding in the country.

During the question hour, the minister said renewable energy policy would be unveiled by March next year. He said several technical studies were also underway to increase the integration of wind and solar energy. The minister said 21 power generation projects based on indigenous Thar coal and hydro were under process to produce affordable electricity. These projects will help generate 11,000MW electricity, he said, adding that task forces had been set up in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to check power theft.