Declaring National Accountability Bureau (NAB) an outright corrupt organisation, both opposition and treasury lawmakers in Senate on Monday called for complete overhaul of the top anti-graft body as agreed between Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto during their exile in London. The top legal wizard of the then military president Pervez Musharraf, Zahid Hamid, who is now an all time powerful law minister in Sharif cabinet, told the Upper House that the government is all set to reform NAB Law.
"Yes, we intend to reform NAB Law as the prime minister is keen and I'm under his instruction," he told the lawmakers, refreshing their mind with a recent warning by the prime minister to NAB. However, the senators belonging to opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) remained quite neutral, which some insiders claimed also want to reform the NAB Law, as the party has failed to put forth a powerful anti-corruption body in Khyber Paktunkhwa despite passage of two-and-half-years.
Senator Farooq H Naek of PPP said that the power of arrest and filing a reference that only rests with a single person - chairman NAB - should be completely abolished, adding these powers has made it impossible for an accused to get bail. "A murderer, a dacoit, and any other accused can get bail from the court but an accused in NAB custody can never be granted bail from any court if he/she is declared innocent later as these powers rests with chairman NAB," he regretted. The House started discussion on a motion moved by PPP Senator Saeed Ghani about the performance of NAB and make recommendations to improve it.
The senators said that through plea bargain instrument of NAB, a person who committed billions of rupees corruption, is given clean chit after payment of some nominal amount of the fraud money. General Abdul Qayum (Retd) of PML-N said that plea bargain system has eroded the very foundations of the country, and this flawed rule must be given an end, adding a man is declared innocent if he pays a very nominal amount out of the corruption he had done. "NAB has become a promoter of corruption instead taking measures to eradicate the menace," said Mian Atique of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
The legislators also questioned why NAB officials have been left scot-free as they are also involved in corruption, adding inquiries should be ordered against them besides checking their assets. Most of the director generals of NAB, they said, are being given extensions after extensions by chairman NAB as giving extension to any official only rests with the prime minister.
Saeed Ghani said that one Munawar Ghopang, an official of National Bank of Pakistan in Dhaka (Bangladesh), against whom investigation is underway for corruption involving Rs 18 billion, is giving advice to the anti-graft body how to investigate cases involving big money. "This is state of affairs in NAB that a man who is facing case of RS18 billion is working for NAB, is this what you think, NAB can do investigations against the thieves plundering the national wealth," he added.
The officials of NAB is asking former premieres Yousaf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf that they mis-used their powers but the NAB Chairman himself is violating law and forwarding extension to its employees. Without elaborating any further, the PPP senator said that his party government wanted to repeal NAB ordinance, but it was not allowed by some hidden forces.
Javed Abbassi of PML-N suggested that the plea bargaining power should be taken away from chairman NAB, saying it was proper time to change NAB Ordinance, adding the NAB board should be strengthened instead of its chairman. Senator Farhatullah Baber of PPP said that NAB law was used as political re-engineering. He also claimed that no sacred cows were brought under any investigative organisation by the anti-corruption body except using it for political victimisation.
Another ruling senator Nihal Hashmi said the PM already said there was need to change the NAB law as its officials were involved in corruption. The law made by a dictator should be changed. Senator Babar Awan of PPP said that it was decided in Charter of Democracy (CoD) signed between PPP and PML-N to abolish NAB. "The committee is there, the bill moved by Senator Taj Haider is there, then what stops you to proceed," he questioned.
Today Pakistan name is being taken as prominent country in corruption, he said, adding there should be appropriate law to stop it. He said that government is not ready to eradicate corruption rather it wants to save the corrupt. "Do whatever you like with the NAB Law but let me tell, it can not go beyond Faizabad, up to DG Khan or to Raiwind, it will remain confined to three provinces - Sindh, KP and Balochistan, as there is no corruption in Punjab, the stronghold of Sharifs," he remarked sarcastically.
Barister Muhammad Ali Saif, another member of the then military president General Pervez Musharraf, who is now in MQM, said that it is considered 'sin' to mention the name of a military dictator like Musharraf in this august house, but is it justified to praise Saifrur Rehman-led notorious Ehtesab Commission. "Who allows the NAB to misuse its power", he questioned, adding, "NAB was the continuation of Ehtisab Commission led by Saifur Rehman. Let us face the reality, if there is corruption, there will be institutions like NAB".