Opposition writes to chairman NAB on one-sided accountability

ISLAMABAD: The opposition along with the coalition partner of the government — Balochistan National Party-Mengal — has written a letter to the Chairman National Accountability Bureau Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal to complain what it called partisan accountability, media trial and political harassment in the name of accountability.

The letter was written jointly by former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and signed by Ahsan Iqbal and Rana Sanaullah Khan of the PML-N, Syed Naveed Qamar and Shahzia Marri of the PPP, Chief of BMP-Mengal Akhtar Mengal and Maulana Asad Mehmood of the MMA.

In the letter, the Opposition legislators and Akhtar Mengal had registered their complaint about the ongoing one sided accountability, media trial of the opposition and political harassment in the name of the accountability. The Opposition also expressed their desire to meet the chairman NAB to convey their reservations on the process.

The NAB on Tuesday confirmed that it received the letter of the Opposition legislators and the BNP-Mengal. “The NAB has received the letter written to the Chairman NAB Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal,” said spokesman of the NAB while confirming receiving the letter. The spokesman said chairman NAB holds the parliamentarians in deep respect and will meet them soon. “The meeting would be expected after the return of chairman NAB from Lahore.

In its letter the legislators had stated that the Opposition believes that everyone is equal before the law and support the accountability process in the country. Through the letter the opposition stated that recent acts of the NAB and public statements of its officials created serious reservations on the transparency and fairness of the NAB. “We need time for meeting with you to draw attention towards the harassment by the NAB and political victimisation of the Opposition members as the NAB’s recent unjust and controversial acts are weakening the democratic system.” the Opposition’s letter stated.