ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani on Monday disposed of the motion against National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after the government expressed its willingness to talk with opposition, under the supervision of chairman Senate, regarding NAB cases against senators.
"The motion number one has been talked out," the chairman Senate announced regarding opposition's motion against NAB that was on the top of the agenda in the ongoing 305th Senate session.
The Chair made this announcement following a briefing by Advisor to the Prime Minister on Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar to Senate in which he said the government is ready to take up with opposition, under the supervision of chairman Senate, the issue of NAB cases against the members of the House.
The chairman Senate neither referred the matter to any Senate committee nor was the chairman NAB summoned at any related forum of the Senate before the motion was disposed of, in what is seen as a big relief for treasury benches that were opposed to the agenda item against NAB.
In his briefing, PM's accountability advisor dismissed the allegation that as many as 13 persons died in NAB custody, saying 11 of them died in jail or judicial custody.
"There were only two people who died in NAB's custody. Their medico-legal reports confirmed that there was no torture or coercive method used on them. And their families did not blame NAB either," he told the Senate, responding to the motion moved against NAB.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Omni Group Aslam Masood died in Adiala Jail in judicial custody, he said. Deceased Brigadier Asad Munir (retd) was never arrested by NAB, he added.
Referring to opposition's allegations of harassment, Akbar said "Just because you are a political figure doesn't mean you cannot be questioned and you allege political victimisation when you are held accountable. If you level accusations, there shall be a response."
He said, "It was discussed here: 'you shouldn't talk about any NAB trial, don't summon anyone, don't put them to trial. Just convict them and that's all. In the Panama case, there was conviction-from accountability court. Today, do you (opposition) accept that conviction?"
He said the fake accounts case was not initiated by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. "If you want I can give all facts about fake accounts case here. Then we would be accused of media trial. The only mistake we made is that we did not interfere in these cases. We did not stop these cases. If this is the allegation, this allegation is right."
He said: "I was personally approached and told 'we would sue you for giving false information about this case, but they (opposition) haven't sued me till date. If I am levelling false accusations there are defamation laws, you can go to court."
He agreed with Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwalla that private transactions of businessmen are outside NAB's investigation purview. "But a private transaction made by a businessman that is trailed to a public officeholder has to be investigated by NAB. Still, we are ready to discuss this issue (with opposition.)" Akbar said.
The advisor said NAB recoveries of Rs 389 billion were made last in two years compared to Rs 104 billion recovered in 10 years before this government was in power.
The Anti Corruption Establishment of Punjab made recoveries of Rs 206 billion in 27 months compared to just Rs 3 billion recovered in the last 10 years before that period, he said.
The PM's advisor said '33.5' out of opposition's 34 proposed amendments are unacceptable to government.
Earlier, speaking on the motion, Mandviwalla said "One-and-a-half-years ago, I wrote a letter to chairman NAB asking him to contact our offices before initiating any inquiry against any senator. He accepted this and started intimating chairman Senate's office before any related inquiry was launched. But turn of events since then is horrible, to say the least," he said.
Mandviwalla said Senator Rubina Khalid was facing NAB inquiries for contracts signed by her late husband. He said the late senator Hasil Bizenjo complained that his family members were questioned over matters involving him (Bizenjo).
The deputy chairman Senate said he was in Russia along with Senator Mohsin Aziz on an official tour when Aziz received a text message that NAB initiated an inquiry against him in Malam Jabba case. "I can tell you that Moshin Aziz sahib was not in his senses-and he could not do that trip and he became, I should say, mentally and physically incapable of doing anything," he said. Former husband of Sherry Rehman was forced by NAB to write a "false" declaration, Mandviwalla said adding that private transactions should be excluded from NAB's purview.
"They (NAB officials) told me 'we will see your chairman-the chairman Senate. Who can dare to say this about chairman Senate," the deputy chairman Senate said and requested the Chair that the motion against NAB be referred to the relevant committee.
However, the chairman Senate did not refer the matter to any committee. Addressing Shahzad Akbar, the Chair said: "The deputy chairman has raised some issues. The deputy chairman, you and I will sit down and consider what action needs to be taken. NAB is our national institution we want to bring improvement in it." The House would meet again today (Tuesday).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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