KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has expressed concern over proposed changes in the accountability law and hoped that it’s not aimed at providing relief to corrupt elements.

The concern was expressed at a meeting of the party’s coordination committee held on Sunday at the temporary headquarters in Karachi’s Bahadurabad area.

The efforts to change the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 — commonly known as NAB law — are being spearheaded by Law Minister Dr Farogh Nasim, who is an MQM-P senator.

The draft amendments in the law are being viewed as a government attempt to curtail powers of the National Accountability Bureau to probe private citizens and entities as well as matters relating to taxation, stock exchange and building control.

Asks Karachi Mayor not to indulge in spats with rivals

However, a senior MQM-P leader told Dawn that the party’s concerns on a few proposed changes in the NAB law did not mean a criticism against Dr Nasim. “He is the law minister and working on the directives of the prime minister,” he said.

He, however, did not give a reply whether the MQM-P will oppose or support the amended bill in the National Assembly.

A press release issued after the meeting said that the coordination committee held “consultations” on recent changes in the NAB laws. “The committee expressed the hope that under no circumstances no relief would be provided to the corrupt elements who caused losses to the public exchequer.”

The MQM-P also directed Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar not to indulge in unnecessary spats with rivals and to spend his energy on addressing people’s problems.

The mayor, who is also one of the many deputy conveners of the party, was recently embroiled in a self-created controversy when he appointed former Karachi mayor Syed Mustafa Kamal as ‘project director garbage’ for 90 days, but suspended him in less than 24 hours.

A statement issued by the MQM-P said that the mayor as well as other local government representatives were told to avoid issuing unnecessary statements and keep in mind “at all costs” the party discipline.

The party also took notice of a recent statement by coordination committee member Mehfooz Yar Khan against Law Minister Dr Nasim.

Mr Khan had told a TV channel recently that Dr Nasim was not a nominee of the MQM-P in the federal cabinet and that everybody knew who he worked for.

The statement said that the meeting also discussed the situation after rains in Karachi and took various decisions.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2019