ISLAMABAD: Although opposition’s motion against National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was concluded in the Senate sitting last week, Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwalla Monday said he still wanted to bring an ‘accountability resolution’ in the House as, he said, both the treasury and opposition benches wanted accountability.
“If this agenda is not concluded for any reason, I will be forced to bring a resolution during this session,” he said at the Senate session presided over by Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani.
“I have no personal agenda. I want to bring an accountability resolution. Government wants accountability, we also want accountability. This resolution will be all about accountability,” he said.
On Monday, last week, Mandviwalla requested the chairman Senate at the House sitting that the motion against NAB be referred to the relevant committee.
However, the chairman Senate did not refer the matter to any committee. “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,” Sanjrani had said while addressing Prime Minister’s Accountability Advisor Mirza Shahzad Akbar.
In Monday’s sitting, the deputy chairman Senate reminded the chairman about the proposed meeting.
Sanjrani responded, “Saleem sahib, I came to meet you but you were not available yesterday and the day before yesterday. Law minister came twice and PM’s advisor also came to discuss this issue. We will sit together and look for a way forward.”
Mandviwalla suggested that the leaders of the House and opposition should also be involved to map out a collective mechanism regarding accountability.
Speaking on the floor of the House, Leader of the House in Senate Dr Shahzad Waseem said federal government does not want to capture Bundal and Buddo islands. “The development in these islands would be to the utmost economic benefit of not only the provinces concerned but also the entire country. Revenue generation would go to the provinces concerned (Sindh and Balochistan). But any decision on the matter is not possible without consulting and involving provincial governments in the lead role,” he said.
Leader of the Opposition in Senate Raja Zafar-ul-Haq said provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan passed resolutions against federal government’s control on Bundal and Buddo islands.
Law Minister Farogh Naseem dismissed the criticism from opposition Senator Lt-Gen Abdul Qayyum (retd) that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had become ‘factory of ordinances.’
The opposition parties during their 10 years in power (from 2008 to 2018) did not amend Article 89 to stop promulgation of ordinances, the law minister said. The law minister said India’s designs to break Balochistan from Pakistan have not succeeded due to patriotism of Baloch people. He said federal government’s policy to develop Bundal and Buddo islands is fully in accordance with the relevant provisions of Constitution of Pakistan 1973.
Earlier, Mir Kabir Ahmed Muhammad Shahi said “There is a mindset in Islamabad to grab resources of provinces and deprive them of their rights.”
Raza Rabbani said “It has become a tradition that whosoever raises voice for their rights is labelled as a traitor— Unless all state institutions come together to agree on implementation of tracheotomy of power envisioned in 1973 Constitution, the issues would not be resolved.
Lt-Gen Qayyum (retd), Sassui Palijo, Aurangzeb Khan, Usman Kakar, Siraj-ul-Haq and Muhammad Ali Saif also took part in the debate. The House would meet again today.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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