Senate witnesses heated debate on Kh Asif’s arrest
ISLAMABAD: The Senate opposition on Friday termed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo) where no law applied, while the treasury asserted the opposition wouldn't get an NRO for his or her ill-gotten wealth come what may.
The opposition-requisitioned session’s first sitting was confined to paying tribute to late Senator Kalsoom Parveen. Opposition Leader Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq presented the agenda and also opened the talk .
Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani presided over the eventful session. The House witnessed a heated debate on the arrest of PML-N leader Khawaja Asif. Senators from the treasury benches grilled the leaders of two mainstream opposition parties for joining hands after passing harsh remarks against one another within the past.
They alleged that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Maryam Nawaz were struggling to save lots of their fathers and thattheir struggle wasn't for democracy or the country. it had been also alleged that the NAB chairman was being blackmailed to focus on the opposition after the scandal surrounding the leak of his ‘audio and video clips’, and this was how he was forced to obey the orders he received through WhatsApp.
One opposition senator said an accountability institution was vital for a robust democracy but the method had to be transparent. He mentioned the flour , sugar and medicines scams, and asked on why no action had been taken against those responsible.
“Where are the inquiry reports,” he asked. Senator Zafarul Haq said the opposition’s agenda wasn't against a person but an establishment and if its trend continued this manner , then it might create more unrest, divisions and vitiate the environment.
“Unfortunately, it's a trend to carry the media trial of an individual without following the due course of law and hence an out-of-court trial is begun. Not only ordinary people, but also the judge of Pakistan and other judges have termed the whole process one-sided,” he acknowledged .
Referring to Khawaja Asif, Zafarul Haq said he already knew that he might be arrested anytime. He emphasised that it had been not right to focus on specific people and mock them by putting them in jail.
He noted that it had been also ahead of everyone how Khawaja Asif was arrested. “Khawaja Asif was called during the meeting and told that some people were calling him. Khawaja Asif said he knew he might be taken into custody anytime,” he said.
Responding to his speech, Leader of the House Dr Shehzad Waseem said it had been repeatedly said that the NAB was used but ‘let me again remind it that chairman NAB wasn't appointed by us’.
He said while Imran Khan was opposition leader, he faced a case and appeared before the courts for a year and produced related documents and therefore the judge had to call him Sadiq and Ameen. The senator said there have been similarities with regard to Khawaja Asif case and Panama revelations.
“Fake companies were created here. Fake accounts were created within the name of employees; the opposition shouldn't attack institutions but serve them by clearing their name,” he continued.
Dr Shehzad Waseem claimed that the people had rejected outright the opposition and therefore the monarchy and hereditary politics. He criticised PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz and said she once said, “I own no property in Pakistan what to speak of getting in London” then she was caught in forgery. “Every day, a replacement lie and a replacement scandal involves light.” he said.
Maryam Nawaz, he noted, visited Benazir Bhutto's shrine. “She was expected to apologise for what her family had done to Benazir. The opposition's drama of resignations has failed. There would be the Senate election and therefore the PTI would come to the present House with majority.”
JUI-F Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri asserted that the govt couldn't be run while hiding behind the military . He said it had been unfortunate that the military was being defamed by saying that the military and institutions were standing with the govt . He claimed Fazlur Rehman’s life was like an open book which he was being targeted for lecture those straight, who had imposed the chosen on the state .
“The NAB arrests politicians, grills them then says within the end, nothing might be proved against them. we'll not appear before the NAB albeit we are torn into pieces. We don't believe an establishment which will throw our turbans and conduct our trial on political basis. you've got destroyed economy and you can’t run country by telling lies,” he maintained. He said the NAB was trampling human rights and strongly condemned Khawaja Asif's arrest.
He noted how Geo/Jang Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was arrested. "Whosoever, shows them the mirror, they mind it. For one year, he was in jail and nobody listened to him," he added.
Federal Minister Murad Saeed rose to mention that within the past, the NAB, FBR, SECP and therefore the parliament were wont to cover their corruption and compile wealth.
“The Panama case didn't start with the NAB's handout . Did Imran Khan make the fake accounts case?” he asked. He asked why a far off minister and defence minister (Khawaja Asif) had an iqama and asked him to justify why his assets were quite his income.
The minister recalled that within the government of Ms. Benazir Bhutto, someone became a minister and was declared Mr. 10 percent. How the event money of Sindh was seen during a fake account and went out through concealment , he asked. This led to a loud scene within the House, as PPP senators agitated on this.
Murad Saeed said within the case of Khawaja Asif, the question was why he didn't have iqama if he was minister of defense and secretary of state . Khawaja Asif, he noted, had properties in Islamabad, Gujranwala and Sialkot et al. .
“You built properties everywhere the planet and took kickbacks from here. Would you target institutions rather than responding?” He reminded that the opposition voted against the FATF, because the government didn't accept their ‘document of corruption’.
“They took to the streets and found out circuses; they aim the military , judiciary and therefore the parliament.” The minister tore apart a document, which he said was a group of amendments proposed by the opposition to undo NAB but this was unacceptable to the govt . “You won't get NRO, come what may,” he said.
Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Senator Usman Kakar called the govt unconstitutional and illegal and every one its actions unconstitutional and illegal. He asserted that over every week was required for discussion about the black deeds of NAB. He then demanded investigation into the assets of all generals involved within the Afghan war including Ziaul Haq, Akhtar Abdul Rehman, Hameed Gul and Colonel Imam et al.
He said the assets of officers, who had served within the war zones including erstwhile FATA and Balochistan, should even be probed. He demanded that the assets of former army chiefs, including Gen Pervez Musharraf, General Raheel Sharif, former ISI chief Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha and former judge Saqib Nisar should even be investigated.
Senator Kakar said the PDM wouldn't only compel the govt to resign but would also force the establishment to simply accept the parliament’s supremacy, in order that none in future would be ready to inherit power using the clutches of intelligence agencies. Like Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, he also wanted a law for an across-the-board accountability of all including politicians, judges, generals and bureaucrats.
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