Govt has nothing to do with NAB affairs: governor Sarwar

LAHORE:Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar has said the PTI government has nothing to do with the affairs of NAB as it always believes in the supremacy of the Constitution and law, not political revenge.

However, the government wanted that the scourge of corruption must be eradicated, he said while talking to Minister for Minority Affairs Ejaz Alam and Minister for Excise Hafiz Mumtaz among others at Governor House here on Monday.

The governor said that the government believes in the rule of law and the Constitution and ‘we are pursuing a policy of ridding the country of corruption’. He said all the institutions of accountability including NAB are being strengthened because the country is facing many problems, including economic ones, due to corruption of the past rulers.

He said it is not right to call the fall of any member of the opposition as political revenge in any case. This is decided by the NAB but not by the government and we have clearly said that the NAB is not the government and the government is not the NAB. For the first time we have cleared all institutions from political interference in the country, he said.

The governor said steps taken by the present government under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan to provide relief and strength to the weaker sections are unprecedented in the past. Ministers Ejaz Alam and Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmed said that the fraudulence of the opposition is being exposed to the nation every day.

APP adds: Punjab Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Social Welfare Raja Basharat, giving a media briefing on the two-year performance of his departments here on Monday, said that Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had a vision to legislate for the betterment of common man.

Keeping this vision in view, the Punjab Assembly had passed 63 important bills in 24 sessions during the last two years. Chairperson Punjab Women Protection Authority Kaniz Fatima, Law Secretary and Information Secretary were also present.

Raja Basharat said the Punjab Assembly, despite having the largest opposition in history, had enacted the most legislation in the country. "We have amended the Sugar Control Act of 1950 to stop the years-long exploitation of farmers by the sugar mafia. Now, the sugar mills would run on time and the farmer would get the full price of sugarcane on time," he said.

Raja Basharat said the Punjab Ravi Urban Development Act would prove to be a game changer in economic and social terms. He said the new Local Government Act of Punjab would transfer power to the lower level and under it, the Punjab government was going to hold the largest local bodies elections in the history of country, he maintained.

"We have changed the centuries-old laws of cooperatives and prisons into truly people-friendly," he added.

Now, the properties of Punjab Cooperatives Liquidation Board worth trillions of rupees could be put to better use by relinquishing illegal possessions, he asserted. He said that on the directive of the Chief Minister, the government departments had been directed to formulate their rules within six months of the passage of the respective law. He revealed that some departments did not make rules even after 15 years. Raja Basharat said the Punjab Police as well as Rescue 1122 would get new vehicles, additional funds, allowances and benefits.

He said that all government measures, including the struggle against Covid-19, were given legal protection on the orders of the Chief Minister, while the credit for the law of production order goes to Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Speaker PA Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi for legislation on production orders. He said that during Covid-19, financial assistance of Rs 124 million was given to Punjab Bar Council, Lahore High Court Bar and sub-bars including DG Khan District Bar.

Describing the performance of Social Welfare and Baitul Maal department, the provincial minister said that Rs 230 million had been allocated for the construction of shelter homes in more cities after Lahore.

Raja Basharat said that Punjab Women Protection Authority was formed in 2016, Shahbaz Sharif himself became its chairman and did nothing while the present government restored the institution by appointing a female head and made it useful for the affected women.