By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to expose the opposition’s efforts for national reconciliation ordinance (NRO) before the masses.
Addressing a press confine in Islamabad today, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Syed Shibli Faraz reiterated that the government will never grant any kind of NRO to the corrupt leaders.
He said the opposition had proposed 34 out of 38 amendments in the National Accountability Ordinance to hide the corruption of its leadership.
The minister said they pressurized the government by proposing these amendments, at a time when the government was seeking opposition’s cooperation in Financial Action Task Force related legislation to bring Pakistan out of FATF’s grey list.
Syed Shibli Faraz said the opposition proposed that NAB should not have powers to take up cases reported before 1999 and should only take notice of corruption cases reported in the last five years.
He said the opposition also suggested that corruption cases of less than one billion rupees, willful default or writing off loan, and offence of money laundering should stay out of NAB’s purview. The minister said another proposal is to change the definition of Benamidars, giving free hands to make corruption in the name of wife and children. It was proposed to allow convicts to contest elections till final disposal of their cases and disqualification should be up to only five years.
Shibli Faraz said these amendments if incorporated will grant corrupt leaders of opposition an NRO plus, making the NAB practically dysfunctional. He said the gang of corrupt leaders is misleading the people by holding mass gatherings in the country. He said the opposition attempted to create a divide among institutions responsible for country’s security.
He said the government is functioning as per law and the constitution. The minister said the PTI-led government will fulfill all its pledges, including provision of 10 million jobs and five million houses, in its five-year term.
Moreover, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Senator Shibli Faraz on Monday said the ruling party wanted to ensure transparency in Senate elections through show of hands.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), government would seek guidance from apex court about holding Senate elections through show of hands, he stated in an interview with a private television channel. “We need transparency and credibility in upcoming Senate elections to close doors of horse trading,” he added. Commenting on opposition’s en masse resignation, the minister said the govt would follow constitution and law of the country for by elections after resignation of the opposition parties. He was of the view that eleven parties representing PDM, had conflict of interest over the matter of en masse resignation.
