The National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice on Wednesday summoned Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) former Justice Javed Iqbal on May 22 to give an explanation on initiating an inquiry into alleged money-laundering of $4.9 billion to India by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The chairman NAB, who was scheduled to appear for the panel on Wednesday, however, did not attend the meeting, as the committee chairman Chaudhry Mohammad Ashraf told the panel that the NAB chief had informed his office that due to his prior commitments and meeting of the executive board, he is unable to attend the meeting of the standing committee.
A representative of the NAB, who appeared before the committee, sought time as the chairman received notice from the committee on Wednesday, the same day the meeting was scheduled.
The meeting witnessed a heated debate among the political parties representatives in the committee, as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) members of the panel raised objection on summoning the NAB chief fearing that it could be a pressure tactic on the anti-graft body at a time when the PML-N leader and former premier is already facing inquiry into cases against him in accountability court.
PPP members of the committee Syed Naveed Qamar and Shagufta Jumani have already tendered resignations from the membership of committee in protest against the PML-N move to summon the NAB chief.
PTI's representatives including Dr Arif Alvi and Ali Mohammad, while opposing the summoning of the NAB chief, opined that since former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a recent interview to an English newspaper has targeted the state institutions, therefore, he should also be summoned to appear before the committee and give explanation to his assertion.
JI member of the committee Aisha Syed said that her party strongly opposes summoning of the NAB chairman, saying that it is tantamount to politically pressurizing the head of a constitutional institution.
"It appears that there are two laws applicable in the country, one for the common man and the other for the influential. He [Chairman NAB) is being summoned for the first time and that too for sake of a one person, which is not acceptable at all," she added.
Responding to the reservations of opposition members, Talal Chaudhry, a PML-N representative in the committee who is also minister of state for interior, said the chairman NAB is respectable to all alike and his appearance in the committee is not meant to degrade him.
Referring to opposition's objection over timing of summoning of the NAB chief, he said the committee decided to summon the NAB chairman to seek explanation with respect to the press release issued by the NAB to probe into alleged money-laundering by Nawaz Sharif.
"Nawaz Sharif is being labeled as "Kafir" [infidel] and a traitor today...It's our constitutional right to ask the institutions how long the policy of press releases and 'tweets' will continue," he said in a reference to DG ISPR tweet on Dawn leaks and the NAB press release on Sharif's alleged money-laundering.
He said that Sharif will be happy to appear before the committee for explanation of his statement regarding Mumbai attacks, but the committee will also have to summon others including those in the "uniform."
He stated this in context of statements of PML-N members including Mian Abdul Manan who stated if the committee would summon Nawaz Shairf, it should also issue a summon to former President General Musharraf (retd), former ISI Chief Asad Durrani, as according to the MNA, they had also given similar statements with regard to Mumbai attacks.
State Minister for Finance Rana Mohammad Afzal also stated those who wanted Nawaz Sharif to appear in the committee should put a motion in the House, adding that Sharif would happily appear in the panel.
Mohammad Moeen Wattoo of PML-N said that by summoning the NAB chief, the committee does not want to degrade his position, but wants to seek an explanation of the legal grounds for issuing the press release and initiating the inquiry.
Earlier, the representative of the NAB submitted a written request from the office of the chairman NAB stating therein that the notice about the meeting of the standing committee was received to him on May 16 and due to his prior commitments and meeting of the executive board, he is unable to attend the meeting of the standing committee.
The committee considered the said request and adjourned the said agenda regarding his briefing till May 22 at 02:00pm at Parliament House amid objections by PTI members who challenged that there was no consensus among the members on summoning the NAB chief.
The committee also considered "The Legal Practitioners and Bar Council (Amendment) Bill, 2018" and after detailed deliberation, the committee recommended that the bill may be passed by the National Assembly.
However, the panel deferred "The Constitution (Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2017," a government bill, till May 22 for further deliberations.
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