Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has expressed serious concerns over undue delay in passing the accountability law and warned the PPP government that it will convene National Assembly session to protest against government's dilly-dallying attitude on this important matter.
"If the government does not act promptly to pass the new accountability law, the PML-N will convene a session of the National Assembly to protest until the government pass the new law," the PML-N spokesperson and senior leader Ahsan Iqbal said.
Addressing a news conference at his party's office here at Model Town on Monday, the PML-N leader said, "We could not allow the PPP government to put the country for sale." He regretted that the government did not respond to the letter written by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif to President Asif Zardari as co-chairperson of the PPP. The letter contained certain suggestions for improving the state of governance in the country, he said.
Iqbal denied the impression given by the government that delay in tabling the proposed accountability bill in the parliament was because of its consultations with the allied parties. He said the government was hoodwinking the nation on the issue, as it had not consulted its allies on important matters like the Kerry Lugar Bill, the implementation of Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST) and nomination to the parliamentary committee for appointment of higher courts' judges. The fact is that the government was using the excuse to delay as much as it could in passing the accountability bill, he opined.
Iqbal said allies of the government would be equally held responsible for all the crisis and bad governance, if they did not come out before the nation with the minimum common agenda on the basis of which they had joined the government and would depart the coalition, if it was not accomplished.
He criticised the government for planning to ban Transparency International in the country, as the step would further tarnish the national image in the comity of nations.
About the alleged audiotape recording of Saifur Rehman and Justice Malik Qayyum (Retd) telecast by a TV channel, the PML-N leader said, "If the PPP considered that Justice Qayyum had done any injustice to former PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto during hearing of cases against her, the government should act against him instead of defending the former judge."
Justifying the role of PML-N as opposition, Iqbal said the PML-N played a positive and constructive role in the last two and a half years as opposition party and even earned the stigma of being a friendly opposition.