NAB not doing accountability but victimisation

ISLAMABAD: Opposition members in the National Assembly Tuesday grilled the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after the Supreme Court decision in Khawaja brothers’ case saying it was being used for victimisation and not for accountability.

“An individual should not get such huge powers as to make him General Yahya,” PML-N parliamentarian Mian Javed Latif said while speaking on a point of order.

He said the Supreme Court verdict had proved that the NAB was not carrying out accountability but victimization.

Latif said he was quoting example of General Yahya because he wanted such powers, which could make him stand against the majority out of general elections and null and void decision of the then assembly.

Latif said he was also giving similarities because General Yahya Khan used to abuse the then assembly and now the country’s sitting chief executive was doing the same.

He recalled that it was General Yahya who stood against the then East Pakistan and now the country’s chief executive was up against the Sindh province.

“It was also Yahya Khan, who made cases against the cabinet of General Ayub Khan,” he added.

Mian Javed Latif pointed out that everybody should know what the government was trying to achieve through the NAB in the last two years.

He said nobody could call some people as angels despite a list of scandals including sugar scandal, medicines scandal and dollars scandal.

Javed Latif said now matters would have to be looked into thoroughly following the Supreme Court decision.

“Now issues like Panama, Judge Arshad Malik, and Justice Qayyum will also have to be looked into,” he said.

Javed Latif said those who brought the chief executive to power should know that he had brought the country on the verge of disaster and now he should go.

“Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Bilawal Bhutto and Maryam Nawaz should also come out to save the country,” he added.

PPP member Abdul Qadar Patel observed that the SC verdict had exposed the NAB-Niazi alliance, which, he said, was the country’s affairs.

“Can there be any scandal without his will? Can anybody escape without his will and still he wants that he should be called as angel,” he said.

He said the Supreme Court’s decision had proved that NAB-Niazi alliance was running affairs of the country.

“This government cannot last even for a single day if there is no NAB-Niazi alliance,” he said.

He said a person who was head of dacoits was imposed on the country and all dacoits were bearing his expenses.

“You should not quote such examples here,” said Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, who was chairing the proceedings.

Patel said some ATMs had escaped abroad, while others could not leave because of restrictions due to COVID-19.

He said the first and top most principle of the state of Madina was justice, which was given to Khawaja Saad Rafique by the Supreme Court on Monday.

He said many billionaires were running the affairs of the country and some of them had escaped abroad.

He said in KP province where angels were in power for the last seven years, a donkey was being kept in a school located in the village of sitting defence minister.

“There are also many cases from BRT Peshawar to Malam Jabba,” he said.

PPP member Agha Rafiullah pointed out lack of quorum in the House as soon as Minister for Communication Murad Saeed was given the floor. The chair adjourned proceedings till Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, the opposition members staged a token walkout from the House over disappearance or alleged kidnapping of senior journalist Matiullah Jan.

“Truth cannot be suppressed by picking up people in this way,” Khawaja Asif said.

Syed Naveed Qamar said it was a matter of shame that the police while showing state terrorism picked up Matiullah Jan.

“This is not attack on an individual but rather an attempt to shut the voice of the whole media,” he said.