NAB is under fire in Senate as opposition criticizes its conduct

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Communications Murad Saeed has asked the opposition to use the forum of parliament for resolving issues of people instead of protecting their own interests.
He was speaking on a motion moved by opposition members in the Senate on Friday. The minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has made it clear that he will never give a national reconciliation ordinance (NRO) to those who looted the national exchequer.
He said the opposition had proposed amendments to 34 out of the 38 provisions of the NAB Act for closure of the cases against them. He condemned the remarks of Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri against the media.
In his remarks, Leader of the House Senator Shehzad Waseem said that the PTI government believes in accountability across the board. He said that the people of Pakistan have rejected politics of inheritance at the PDM’s public gathering in Lahore.
Senator Shehzad Waseem said the PDM only wants to secure NRO from the government to protect their looted money.
The opposition came down hard on the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as it took up the anti-graft watchdog’s conduct during the Senate session. The point was raised by Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) senior member and Leader of the Opposition in Senate Raja Zafar-ul-Haq. He alleged that the NAB is victimising the political opponents of the government.
Haq maintained that the current trend of the institution will lead to division and disorder in the country. He said that NAB targeted specific people, so much so that even the Supreme Court (SC) termed its conduct one-sided.
“If there is a case against someone, the person is targeted in the media before the court. It is not right to ridicule people by putting them in jail” Haq said.
Referring to the arrest of acting Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Khawaja Asif, he said the way he was arrested was unethical.
“Khawaja Asif was called during the meeting, and was told that some people were here, asking to speak to him. He knew [from that point on] that he could be detained at any time,” the PML-N leader stated.
Addressing the upper house during the session, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Deputy Secretary and Deputy Chairman Senate Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, while referring to the recently initiated NAB inquiry against JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, said he will not appear before the institution. – TLTP