The Parliamentary Committees of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) on Monday seemed to have reached an agreement on one accountability law for across-the-board accountability of all the institutions instead of separate laws by various institutions.
Talking to media here on Monday after the meeting, Law Minister Dr Babar Awan and Senator Ishaq Dar of PML-N said that discussions also held on accountability law. Senator Dar said, "We are making efforts to prepare a consolidated accountability law by merging all the other laws into it so that no one should be exempted from the accountability."
About progress on economic reforms, he said that a full-fledged meeting on 10-point reforms agenda proposed by Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) would be held by tomorrow (Tuesday). The discussion would be held on State Own Enterprises (SOEs) losses, corruption and other issues and his party would inform the government economic team on expenditure control steps taken by Punjab government.
He said his party would propose expenditure control measures to control the ballooning fiscal deficit. When asked about progress made so far by the two sides on economic reform agenda, he said, "you would get a copy of notification for judicial commission."
Dr said that 12 names have been proposed for constitution of parliamentary committee for appointment of CEC. He said that he along with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif would meet the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation today (Tuesday). About oil prices, he said that meeting was going on between the two political parties.
Federal Minister for Law and Justice Dr Babar Awan said that first phase of discussion on accountability bill was completed and both sides have been able to understand each other's viewpoint. Awan said this was agreed by the two sides on January 26 for a meeting today to examine the accountability law.
He said two PML-N members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice, Zahid Hamid and Anosha Rehman briefed the meeting on the accountability law. The Law Minister said notification of Justice Sardar Raza has already been issued for single person judicial commission to probe the recent sugar crisis.
The minister said that names of the constitutional committee for the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner have been finalised and sent to the National Assembly Speaker for notification.
Senator Dar said that judicial commission of Sardar Raza has been given 45 days timeline to probe and submit report to the committee so that action could be taken against those who have escalated the price of the commodity to Rs 125 for making windfall profit.