PESHAWAR: Terming the National Accountability Bureau a toothless body, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday said the existence of the anti-corruption watchdog was at stake and the next government would abolish it.

“The NAB is the most corrupt institution and a corrupt body has no justification to hold accountability of others,” he told a presser at the party’s secretariat here.

The JUI-F chief said the NAB was trying to pressure him by arresting and summoning his party’s members.

“Arresting and summoning people to the NAB offices are outdated tactics. We are used to such gimmicks,” he said asking the NAB officers to ‘stay in their limits’.

Mr Fazl said on one hand, the anti corruption body scandalised the arrest of few politicians but on the other, it was striking plea bargain deals with thousands of officials.

He said any action against him by the NAB would be considered to be an action against the entire JUI-F.

JUI-F chief threatens countrywide protests over action against him

“If the NAB puts hand on me, there would be protests in the width and breadth of the country,” he said.

The JUI-F chief said the Transparency International report, which ranked Pakistan 124 out of 180 countries on the Corruption Perceptions Index, 2020, had exposed the PTI government’s ‘filthy face’.

“The [TI] report has exposed their (ruling PTI’s) filthy face that had claimed that it would eliminate corruption after coming to power,” he said, adding that corruption had enormously increased in the country during the last two years.

Mr Fazl said the government was nowhere and there was a governance vacuum.

Earlier, he said the Broadsheet company’s revelations on corruption and money laundering in the country and the seizure of a PIA plane in Malaysia had laid bare the government’s failure.

He said the government had made the country the butt of ridicule in the world.

“The time has come to get rid of the so-called government and hold free and transparent elections for the formation of a new government,” he said.

The JUI-F chief said the country’s future was at stake and the struggle against the so-called government was a national obligation.

He said the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement had been fighting for the survival of the country.

When asked about differences among PDM members, Mr Fazl, who heads the 10-party opposition alliance, said difference of opinion should not be mixed up with differences.

“There’re no differences in the PDM ranks. The alliance is completely united and is moving forward,” he said.

The JUI-F leader said the PDM would hold a rally in Muzaffarabad on Feb 5 to show solidarity with the people of the India-held Kashmir, while another rally would be staged in Hyderabad city on Feb 9.

When asked about the Pakistan Peoples Party’s suggestion to table a no confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan in the National Assembly, the JUI-F chief said the proposal would come under discussion in the next PDM meeting.

“If the PPP comes with strong arguments in favour of its [no confidence motion] proposal, then we [PDM members] will not oppose it,” he said, adding that only the forum would take a final decision about it.

He said the PPP’s earlier proposals regarding participation in the Senate polls and by-elections for the vacant seats of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies were accepted.

Mr Fazl said the opposition didn’t want to leave the field open to the ‘immature’ people to help them occupy the Senate.

He said the ruling PTI was in favour of show of hand in the coming Senate election as it didn’t trust its own lawmakers.

Responding to a question, the JUI-F chief claimed that the government had slashed the defence budget by 50-55 per cent that would weaken national security.

He said the PDM had no intention to campaign against the armed forces as political parties believed in strong and professional military.

Mr Fazl said the security establishment should admit that it was responsible for the ‘PTI dilemma’.

“The problem is that the army is fighting against us by creating dissident groups within the political parties, so we have the right to complain against the army and other institutions,” he said, adding that efforts are being made to strengthen only one institution instead of making the country stronger.

The JUI-F chief said the new US administration knew that the current political setup in Pakistan didn’t fulfil the criterion of democracy.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2021