Corruption in government institutions: PML-N threatens to launch 'decisive' movement inside Parliament

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Wednesday warned the government for launching a decisive movement inside Parliament against the alleged corruption in government institutions similar to the drive it had launched against the Legal Frame Order (LFO) of former military dictator Pervez Musharraf.
The PML-N, which is the major opposition party in the National Assembly also demanded an all-party parliamentary committee, which could finalise its suggestions within one month for the eradication of corruption in various government departments and also announced to chalk out affective anti-corruption strategy in the upcoming session of the National Assembly scheduled for November 01.
"We will not allow further plunder in the government corporations. The government must stop it otherwise we are going to launch a decisive movement inside the parliament similar to LFO that forced a former military dictator to quit the power corridors", warned Ahsan Iqbal, central secretary-information of the PML-N while speaking at a press conference here, in which he also announced the party's seven-point strategy for the eradication of corruption from the country.
The PML-N leader called upon the government to immediately bring the Accountability Bill in the upcoming National Assembly session to be passed unanimously saying that the party would formulate strategy to get the bill passed with consensus.
Commenting on the two recent reports-one by Transparency International ranking Pakistan 34th in the list of globally corrupt nations and the second by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) showing dangerous economic indicators, Iqbal warned the government to check corruption and improve the country's economy.
He said that the government was unable to bring a solid economic agenda despite passage of 31 months and also expressed the fear that Finance Minister Hafeez Sheikh could leave the ministry due to the mismanagement on the part of the government and his helplessness to put the economy on right track.
He also strongly opposed the appointment of National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) chief on his own will saying if President Zardari could appoint chairman of the accountability body on his will then all the accused inside the country should also be given opportunity to appear before the investigation officers of their own choice.
Similarly, he also asked the government to announce in the coming NA session the formation of National Accountability Commission as promised by the Prime Minister, saying that the PML-N would start serious efforts in the next National Assembly session to exert pressure to set up an accountability body with mutual consultation of all political parties.
He said that the government should take the Parliament into confidence in the upcoming NA session over the foreign and domestic loans. Giving details of the foreign and domestic loans, Ahsan Iqbal said that the domestic loans, which were Rs 3,275 billion in 2008, has now increased to Rs 4,653 billion while the volume of foreign loans has been soared to Rs 4,658 billion.
He also asked the government to immediately announce cut in the federal cabinet owing to the economic recession, saying that on one hand the poor people of the country were unable to avail necessities of daily life while on the other the 100-member cabinet was huge burden on national exchequer.
To a question, Iqbal while citing President Obama telephone call to President Zardari, termed Gilani as a 'dummy' Prime Minister saying that he could not prove to be the real chief executive of the country under the 18th amendment saying that the presidency was still enjoying the real powers.
The PML-N leader suggested that heads of the government's corporations like Pakistan Steel Mills, Pakistan Railways, Pakistan International Airline (PIA) and Oil and Gas Development Authority (OGDCL) should be appointed through advertisements so as to make these institutions profitable under professional guidance.
He demanded that the National Reconciliation Ordinance's (NRO) beneficiary ministers should be removed immediately and implementation should be made on the Supreme Court's directions.
Commenting on Babar Awan and Pervaiz Elahi Elahi's meeting, the PML-N leader said that, the law minister should also extend the reconciliation process to Musharraf's All Pakistan Muslim League.