Federal Minister on Petroleum and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that the plea bargain clause is a basic flaw in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law — which needs amendment.
“NAB was founded by a military dictator to suppress political figures,” he said while talking in DawnNews' programme “In Focus”.
He said that there is a consensus among all political parties that the system of NAB should be changed.
Abbasi was of the view that there are a lot of flaws in the NAB law but the government cannot amend it unilaterally. He invited Pakistan People's Party (PPP) for a joint sitting and come up with shared agenda on NAB’s laws.
He added that it is the only way to amend the laws due to the proportion of strength of both parties in the houses of parliament.
The petroleum minister said that if the ruling party takes an initiative to amend the laws, the party would be blamed for twisting NAB laws into its favour.
Recently, NAB has approved the appeal of provincial secretary of Balochistan’s treasury department Mushtaq Ahmed Raesani and Sohail Majeed, alleged front man of former Balochistan Finance Minister Khalid Langove.
Commenting on PPP’s decision to end reconciliation with PML-N, he said that both the government and the opposition should play their respective roles. We never asked PPP not to act as opposition because we are not afraid of opposition.
Earlier, PML-N stalwart and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar had also expressed same views on NAB. He displayed strong opposition to the practice of plea bargains and termed it tantamount to providing a safe passage to thieves.
He also expressed his desire to amend NAB laws and supported the idea that NAB should be completely autonomous that NAB's chief should be appointed by the country's top court.
Furthermore, Adviser to the Chief Minister Sindh on Information Moula Bux Chandio had declared war on the ruling PML-N, saying that reconciliation was for the sake of democracy, the Constitution and to pave way for legislation to safeguard rights of people but now "PML-N will have to go".
“"The PML-N is a party of insane, narrow minded and those people who cant see ahead of their nose (ego), who turned to calling names when lost argument, who resort to personal attack, now there will be no reconciliation to them," he said, addressing a press conference on Saturday.
To a question on political alliance against the federal government, he responded that PPP never takes solo flight. He was optimistic "pro-democratic" forces will join them.
He went on to say that one thing was obvious that the prime minister is unable to seek an explanation from his interior minister. He was of the view that the minister was out of the prime minister's control.
