LONDON: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Malik Ahmed Khan, who is visiting London, criticised the Supreme Court’s decision regarding amendments to the National Account­ability Ordinance, terming the law “destructive for Pakistan”.

Mr Ahmed, who is here on a personal visit and is staying at The Churchill hotel in central London where interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar is also staying, said the two had not met and that he “had no idea” Mr Kakar is staying there.

“I had no meeting with Mr Kakar,” he told reporters outside the hotel on Sunday. If these rumours had not been circulating in the media [perhaps I would have]. I have good terms with him, but because he is the caretaker prime minister and if meeting him raises a question regarding his neutral stance, I will not be meeting him.“

Mr Ahmed has had several meetings with N-league high-ups, including party supremo Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif. He said in his most recent meeting, the SC decision on the NAB law amendments came under discussion.

“In the previous meeting, it was discussed that the NAB decision by SC is fundamentally not against political parties but against Pakistan. With this NAB, no civil servant is ready to sign on any file, businessmen are not ready to make investments and there is an environment of harassment. This is a black law, and that has been my position from day one.”

Mr Khan said he had raised the issue earlier in 2017, when Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was prime minister, that the law should be discussed in parliament and ended. He added that he also made a similar request to Shehbaz Sharif.

“This has been used under the ruse of accountability to trim down politicians. [In comparison] against Imran Khan we own every single word when it comes to accountability. But can they prove any cases against us under NAB laws?” he asked, adding he did not want to get into a “tit for tat”.

On speculations surrounding the rushed return of Shehbaz Sharif, Mr Ahmed said, “This [Supreme Court] decision came during the last days of Shehbaz’s visit here, so he did come back to discuss its implications, if there are any references that can come from this.”

When asked whether he agrees with PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari that the NAB law is bad, Mr Ahmed said, “I’m convinced on this, what Asif sahib says is absolutely right, it is destructive for the country.”

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2023