Politics

National Assembly session underway with ‘important’ decisions on cards

Published

5 months ago

Farwa

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Wednesday session is underway with “important” decisions expected to be made as the government and the Supreme Court remain at loggerheads over the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Sources told The News’ Saleh Zafar that the government is set to move a motion seeking to summon “three people” to the NA’s Privileges Committee for repeated contempt of parliament.

In a meeting of the ruling allies earlier today, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that a parliamentary committee would discuss the terms of talks between the ruling alliance and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) regarding holding elections across the country on the same day.

He said the door for negotiations should not be closed. “We can decide what the format of the talks will be. The parliamentary committee can create room for this.”

The meeting came a day before a hearing of the Supreme Court on petitions requesting single-day elections to the national and provincial assemblies.

In the previous hearing, the apex court had directed the government and opposition parties to reach a consensus on the date for holding elections.

‘Anarchy’

In his address, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar came down hard on PTI Chairman Imran Khan and said the two assemblies were dissolved to spread “anarchy” in the country.

He said that the Election Commission of Pakistan’s request for the release of funds was sent to the finance ministry, but his ministry cannot allow the issuance of funds without the following “procedures”.

The minister added that in line with the law, the government brought the request before the cabinet and the parliament — both of whom rejected the proposal.

Dar said that the parliament accepts the 4-3 decision of the Supreme Court and noted that even the State Bank of Pakistan cannot release the funds — despite the top court’s order.

He said that in the Punjab Assembly case, Article 63-A of the Constitution was re-written and the “world is surprised over the new interpretation” of the article.

“What was the sin of the 25 members whose vote was not counted?” he asked, claiming that the decision was made to spread anarchy in the nation.

Dar then slammed the “elements” responsible for derailing Pakistan’s economy and said the country was standing at a “critical juncture”.

The finance minister asked what would happen if the elections are held after three to four months. “What will happen if the elections happen in the country in October?”

The minister said the government was being asked to do an “illegal” thing and he would never advise the cabinet to do so. He added that the law dictates that elections should be held simultaneously.

“We cannot go against the Constitution just on court orders,” he said, asking the parliament’s members to suggest what the government should do till tomorrow.

‘Parliament’s prerogative’

In his speech on the floor of the National Assembly, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the lower house of the parliament has already passed resolutions for not providing funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan for polls.

“When the matter was taken up before the cabinet, the house had already issued its decision,” the law minister said, stressing that it is the parliament’s prerogative on the issuance of funds.

The minister added that the parliament had directed the federal government not to follow up on the Supreme Court’s “minority” decision on the elections.

“Releasing funds from the Federal Consolidated Fund is the parliament’s prerogative,” the law minister added.

The minister said a person dissolved the assemblies to satisfy his “ego”. He added that given the current circumstances, the parliament has the power to either ratify or review its earlier decisions.

‘Contempt of parliament’

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) MNA Shahida Akhtar Ali, while speaking on the floor of the NA, asked how could the parliament allow the release of Rs21 billion funds to the ECP.

“The [SC] is imposing the decision on us. The institutions who are facilitating this person [Khan] should understand that he will come back to bite them,” she said.

She stressed the need to hold elections simultaneously and noted that the parliament would not be undermined by any institution’s orders.

In his address, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA Agha Rafiullah — without naming anyone — asked whether there was any doubt that these “people are leaning towards others”.

“A salaried government employee has committed contempt of parliament,” he said, hitting out at the top court.

The PPP leader also asked the prime minister to order a forensic test of the recent audio leaks — including those of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial’s mother-in-law and ex-CJP Saqib Nisar.

“We should file a reference against such people in the Supreme Judicial Council,” he said.

Politics

Political bigwigs to face accountability as NAB submits records to court

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

ISLAMABAD: In line with the Supreme Court’s order to restore graft cases against public office holders, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) submitted a record of corruption references to an accountability court in Islamabad.

Accountability Judge Muhammad Bashir directed the registrar of the court to review the cases’ records and present them before him.

The judge directed the NAB prosecutors to review the legal aspects of the cases as the nature of cases against private individuals, public office holders, and government employees is different.

The development came as NAB prosecutors Sohail Arif and Sardar Muzaffar appeared in the accountability court to brief the judge on the reopening of the cases.

“You [prosecutours] have to tell which case can be heard and which is not in a [court’s] jurisdiction, Judge Bashir stated.

NAB prosecutor Abbasi assured the judge that the anti-graft watchdog will ensure the implementation of the apex court order and submit all relevant records to the court.

On September 15, a three-member bench of the apex in a majority 2-1 verdict approved Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s petition challenging amendments made to the country’s accountability laws during the tenure of the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government.

The then-chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial-led bench ordered restoring all graft cases that were closed against the political leaders and public office holders and declared the amendments void.

In this regard, the anti-corruption watchdog wrote a letter to the registrar of an accountability court in the federal capital in line with the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Last week, NAB Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed Butt summoned a consultative meeting to formulate the future course of action.

The cases will be reopened against former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif, Yousuf Raza Gillani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Shehbaz Sharif, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former president Asif Ali Zardari, former chief ministers of Sindh, Punjab as well as dozens of former federal and provincial ministers, according to The News.

Sources said the fake accounts cases against Zardari and the rental power plants case against Ashraf have also been reopened. They added that the Toshakhana vehicles cases against Zardari, Nawaz and Gillani would also be investigated again.

Other politicians who would face cases include former chief minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah, former finance minister Miftah Ismail and former finance minister Senator Ishaq Dar for amassing assets beyond known sources of income.

Politics

‘Culprits Bajwa, Faiz’ should be held accountable for causing instability: Sanaullah

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

“They are culprits of Pakistan,” says former interior minister.
Sanaullah says Bajwa, Faiz should be brought to justice for causing instability.
PML-N to address problems of common man on priority, he adds.

KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former interior minister Rana Sanaullah has held former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Faiz Hamid responsible for prevailing political and economic crises in the country.

In an interview with a local TV channel on Wednesday, Sanaullah called the former top military officials “culprits of the nation”, demanding that they should be brought to justice for causing political and economic instability in the country, The News reported.

In response to a question, Sanaullah said: “These people are culprits of the nation. They are the culprits of Pakistan. They are culprits of not just the PML-N but also of the entire nation.”

“They will not be forgiven. These people must be held accountable. They are responsible for the current instability in the country and they must be asked why they created instability in 2017,” he added.

Answering another question what action PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif would propose if his party came to power against Gen Bajwa, Gen Hamid, former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar and a sitting senior Supreme Court judge whom he named while addressing his party’s Punjab Tanzeemi Committee meeting via video link on Tuesday or it was only a statement, Sanaullah said these people were responsible for citizens starving in the country because they brought about political instability, which in turn led to economic instability.

When asked what the PML-N’s plan was for “these national culprits”, he said his party would not rush towards revenge. In his address, he said, Sharif made it clear that first the injured person in need of urgent medical attention must be attended and then action should be taken against the culprits.

“If the PML-N gets an opportunity to come to power, first of all, our priority would be to address the problems of the common man, and later those responsible for their plight, in my opinion as the decision would be made by the party, should be booked in a case.”

Sanaullah further said that these culprits should be brought to justice just the way Pervez Musharraf was brought to the dock and the credit for that must be given to the PML-N.

To another query, if action would also be taken against the sitting SC judge named by Nawaz Sharif, he said, “Yes, [he] should be accountable…. Yesterday, Nawaz Sharif’s statement was a policy statement and he said these people should be held accountable.”

Politics

NAB moves to reopen graft cases against political bigwigs after SC order

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

NAB writes letter to registrar of accountability court
NAB likely to submit record of cases to court in next two days.
Regional offices of anti-corruption watchdog compile data on cases.

ISLAMABAD: After the Supreme Court’s verdict to strike down the amendments made to the anti-graft law, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) decided in principle to reopen corruption cases against political bigwigs, The News reported Thursday.

The then-chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial-led bench ordered restoring all graft cases worth less than Rs500 million that were closed against the political leaders and public office holders and declared the amendments void.

In this regard, the anti-corruption watchdog wrote a letter to the registrar of an accountability court in the federal capital in line with the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Last week, NAB Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed Butt summoned a consultative meeting to formulate the future course of action.

NAB is likely to submit the record of all cases to the court in the next two days for resuming hearing. The cases will be reopened against former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif, Yousuf Raza Gillani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Shehbaz Sharif, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former president Asif Ali Zardari, former chief ministers of Sindh, Punjab as well as dozens of former federal and provincial ministers.

Sources said NAB was still continuing legal examination of cases that were closed earlier, and compiling records of cases that were at the stages of complaint verification, inquiries and investigations.

Regional offices of NAB in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Sukkur, Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta are compiling complete data of cases that would be submitted to the accountability courts, said sources. “NAB will fulfil its obligation once the legal consultation is finalised in the light of the Supreme Court decision in the NAB amendments case.”

NAB amendments

The NAB amendments not only reduced the four-year term of the NAB chairman and the bureau’s prosecutor general to three years but also placed all regulatory bodies functioning in the country out of NAB’s domain.

Furthermore, the changes included that a three-year term be set for the judges of the accountability courts and that courts be bound to decide a case within one year.

Challenging the amendments, Imran Khan approached the apex court and petitioned that the amendments be struck down on the grounds that they were unconstitutional.

The petition argued that amendments to sections 2, 4, 5, 6, 25 and 26 of the NAB law are against the Constitution, along with amendments made to sections 14, 15, 21 and 23.

Furthermore, the PTI chief argued that amendments in the NAB law are contrary to the fundamental rights of Articles 9, 14, 19, 24, and 25.

All these amendments made in the NAB law should be declared null and void, the PTI Chairman had requested.

To hear Khan’s plea, a special three-member bench was formed on July 15, 2022. The first hearing of the case against the NAB amendments was held on July 19 last year after Khan’s lawyer Khawaja Haris filed an application 184/3 against the NAB amendments.

Both the federation and NAB were made parties in the petition.