Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, special assistant to the prime minister on information and broadcasting, on Sunday defended changes in accountability law through a presidential ordinance, saying the top anti-graft body will be able to better focus on investigating mega corruption scandals.
Talking to journalists after attending a function, she said that under the ordinance, honest public office holders will be able to make decisions in the greater public interest without any fear. "This [ordinance] will make governance more active, the economy more stable and will give way to a more conducive environment for business," she declared.
The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) made drastic changes in National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 through a presidential ordinance promulgated on December 27. Under the ordinance, the powers of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) were curtailed keeping in view frequent complaints of the bureaucracy and the business community. However, in view of growing criticism against what many critics described as a "mother of all NROs" to businessmen, bureaucrats and politicians, majority of the amendments circulated to the cabinet by the law ministry were taken back on Saturday.
Two major opposition parties; the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan People's Party had rejected the ordinance, saying the government is making efforts to protect a few of its cronies and "dry-clean" the PTI.
Awan lashed out at opposition parties for politicizing the issue, saying Imran Khan is not afraid of accountability which is evident from the fact that even Khan's worst political failed to prove any corruption allegations against him. She added that the prime minister's fight against the menace of corruption will not end unless all the thieves are taken to task, adding NAB is meant to investigate mega corruption scandals and with the recent changes in NAB law, the bureau will be able to better focus on executing this role. "Inquiries will be initiated against those government employees who have benefited from procedural discrepancies or departmental errors. Public office holders who misused their powers [for their personal benefit] by having an unprecedented increase in their assets are not exempt," she added.
Earlier, speaking at the 10th International Medical Conference 2019, she invited the overseas medics to join hands with the government to introduce health reforms in the country to provide advanced health care facilities to poor and neglected people in both rural and urban areas.
"The government is ready to establish public-private partnerships with private sector organisations in the health sector mainly to restructure the old health system and to introduce technological transformations, effective management system and merit-based hiring and promotions system," she added.
Awan said the incumbent government would revamp the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) as a part of its health reform agenda, bringing it at par with the international regulatory agencies. Referring to the health challenges of infant and mother mortality rate, growing hepatitis, stunting growth etc. being faced by the citizens, she reiterated the government's commitment to provide all out support for restructuring the entire health system.
MI Pakistan's Founder Dr Wajih Rizvi said that Medics International (MI) had carried out massive healthcare-based relief work in the country whether it is natural calamity, earthquakes or floods.
He said that the conference had different sessions over the period of three days related to specialized fields of medicine, pharmaceutical, and dentistry.
Speakers including Professor Mulazim Bukhari, President MI Pakistan, Dr Zulfiqar Kazmi, Scholar, Arshad Qayyumi, Cardiologist USA, Dr Dilbar Saeed, Dr Wajih Rizvi, Founder Medics International, Dr Huma Naqvi, Global President, Medics International also addressed on the occasion.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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