Commission in Punjab could be set up to probe graft: Basharat

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Law, Local Government and Parliamentary Affairs Muhammad Basharat Raja has said that a commission to probe corruption in loans by the past rulers could be set up in Punjab.

Flanked by Punjab Minister for Prosecution Ch Zaheer ud Din, while talking to the media at Punjab Assembly cafeteria here on Wednesday, Raja Basharat said the Punjab government wanted to provide every possible relief to the people in its upcoming budget on June 14.

Responding to a question, the Law Minister said that poor public reaction on the arrest of Asif Ali Zardari and Hamza Shahbaz shows that the people support Imran Khan’s firm stand on eradication of the corrupt and looters from the country. The government has only this point of view that nobody is above the law and accountability for which the patriotic lawyers of Pakistan are also supporting the government. So far, more than 25 bar associations of Punjab have assured the government that they would not be a part of any such move that may play havoc with the country.

He went on to say that it was a fact that Imran Khan broke this vicious hookup of the corrupt politicians after a long struggle, earlier looked impossible.

Raja Basharat said that the PA session commencing from June 13 would be the budget session while Annual Budget for the year 2019-20 would be presented in PA on June 14. Lauding the federal government on presenting a good budget in hard economical circumstances, Raja assured that the Punjab Budget would be public friendly too. Commenting on the anticipated agitation on judges’ reference, the minister said: “Chief Justice of Pakistan has clarified that the matter of judges’ reference will be purely decided by the judiciary and not by the government.

Those lawyers’ organisations have also explicitly told that they would not assist a constitutional and judicial matter be converted into a political one. The government greatly honours such positive thinking prevailing in a large faction of lawyers’ community, Raja said and added that the PA was leading the country by passing 17 original and basic legislations during last 8 months and would do more in coming sessions. Lamenting on the former government of PML-(N), he said that in 2008, then government left Rs 100 billion surplus in the kitty but the PML (N) left heavy debts of Rs 2600 billion instead. “Why the country should not face bankruptcy whereof the sitting Prime Minister deliberately helps a NAB accused Finance Minister flee from the country in his official plane.

How ridiculous that the person who once claimed to tear the belly of Zardari to recover looted money, now is pleading for his production order? But Imran Khan is laudable in contrary that is concealing nothing from the nation and telling what is the fact”, he said. “We want to assure that this government will not leave anything behind that might go contrary to our claims casing disapproval by the public,” he said. In the past, billions of rupees from the national exchequer spent to benefit the personal belongings such as construction of drains for sugar mills and roads for personal residences,’ he added.