Imran says no one asked him directly for NRO

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has reportedly admitted that no one has approached him directly for a National Reconciliation Ordinance-like (NRO) arrangement, a break from his frequent war cry where he and his allies claimed the opposition is demanding an NRO.

During a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary meeting on Tuesday, Geo News sources quoted the Prime Minister as saying: “No has contacted me directly for an NRO. Everyone knows that I will not makes any compromises when it comes to corruption cases.”

Other media reports also corroborated the Prime Minister’s statement. He once again vowed not to agree to an NRO, even if the opposition calls an All Parties Conference (APC) or starts a campaign against the government.

The NRO was an ordinance issued by the former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf in 2007, which granted amnesty to politicians, political workers and bureaucrats who were accused of major crimes like corruption, embezzlement, money laundering and murder between 1986 and 1999. It was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2009.

The Prime Minister has been repeatedly promising never to grant an amnesty to members of opposition parties, whose leaders are accused of graft. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif is currently imprisoned in the Al-Azizia reference case, while Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Zardari is currently detained by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a major money laundering reference.

PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif, Khawaja Saad Rafique, and several other members of the opposition are currently faced with graft references. They all maintain their innocence and insist the cases are politically motivated.

During the party meeting on Tuesday, the Prime Minister was also quoted as saying the opposition “can enjoy protesting but it does not matter” to him. “We have to answer for our performance and members of Parliament have a duty to inform the public about those responsible for the economic crisis,” the Prime Minister was quoted as saying by sources.

“We have a direction and are coming out of a crisis. Members of Parliament will also start a campaign to make the public aware about paying their taxes,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister also directed all members to ensure they are present in the House as getting the budget passed was a legal requirement. He said an increase has been made in the development budget for Balochistan and tribal areas, sources added.