Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday met with leaders from different political parties represented in the Sindh Assembly to brief them on the proposed Sindh Accountability Bill, 2017.

Sindh Assembly's Leader of the Opposition Khwaja Izharul Hassan, MQM's Syed Sardar Ahmed, Nand Kumar of PML-F and Haji Shafi Jamote of PML-N attended the meeting. PTI MPA Samar Ali Khan did not attend the meeting.

The chief minister was reported to have briefed the opposition leaders about the need for a provincial accountability law.

Shah said he and his legal team believed that 'measures to curb corruption' was a provincial subject right from the date of enforcement of the 18th Amendment in the Constitution.

“We are late by a few years, but now we have decided to introduce the draft of the proposed provincial accountability bill in the [Sindh] Assembly on Monday,” he said.

The chief minister told the ministers that, under the proposed accountability law, the appointment of the anti-corruption department's chairman would be made through the provincial assembly, while the director general and the prosecutor general — the two other important positions — would be appointed in consultation with the chairman.

Sindh Advocate General Zamir Ghumro, while briefing opposition leaders on the contents of the draft law, said it would have no clause for a plea bargain.

Provincial Law Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar told the parliamentary leaders that the draft bill was being finalised and he would provide them with copies if they desired so.

Khwaja Izhar told the provincial government representatives that the opposition was against a provincial accountability law, therefore it would oppose the proposed bill in the assembly.

Shah said that it was the democratic right of the opposition to oppose or support the bill.

“I have not called you here to come around to our view, but the purpose of convening this meeting is to take you [opposition] into confidence regarding the proposed bill,” he concluded.

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