ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Wednesday approved the transit remand of former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique in a corruption case till Jan 21.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had produced Mr Rafique before the court of Justice Muhammad Bashir, seeking transit remand for five days.

When asked for how many days the National Assembly session would last, the court was informed that the session might continue for over five days and so it was likely that the court would be requested to extend the transit remand further. The court approved the request.

It is worth mentioning that Mr Rafique — who is in NAB’s custody in the Paragon Housing scam case — was shifted from Lahore to Islamabad last week as his production orders were issued by the National Assembly speaker.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Rafique said that whether under martial law or civil government, the term accountability was used but it was never genuinely implemented in the country. He suggested that the system of accountability should be revamped.

Replying to a question, he said that credit for the alliance of opposition parties went to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s “childish” approach.

“The government is non-serious and it cannot run the country. The coalition of opposition parties is the need of the hour as a joint opposition would be able to give tough time and force the government to perform,” he said.

Responding to another question, he said: “Those who have been talking about National Reconciliation Ordinance are foolish as no prime minister has ever been able to give NRO in Pakistan.”

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2019