Former foreign minister and PTI Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Sunday accused the government of amending accountability laws to protect the “corrupt elite class”, claiming PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be the “biggest beneficiaries of the amendments.”
“The PTI has decided to approach the Supreme Court to challenge the amendments along with other election-related legislation passed by the government,” the PTI stalwart told a press conference and added that the party has also urged the top court to take notice of changes to the NAB law, which has virtually left the the accountability watchdog dysfunctional.
Addressing the journalists in Islamabad, Qureshi alleged the amendments made by the government to the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 were the ones they had once proposed to the PTI in an attempt to get the NRO.
It is to be noted that the National Assembly had approved the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021, on May 26.
According to the amendments, NAB deputy chairman to become acting chairman upon retirement of the chairman. It will be mandatory to initiate process for the appointment of a new chairman two months prior to incumbent’s retirement and completed in 40 days.
The Federal and provincial tax matters removed from NAB’s purview besides removal of Regulatory bodies’ decisions from NAB’s purview.
Judges to be appointed in accountability courts for a three-year period; cases to be decided within year.
NAB will be bound to ensure availability of evidence prior to arrest, otherwise five years imprisonment will handed down any officer for filing false reference.
Qureshi claimed that the prime minister will be a direct beneficiary of the amendment made in Section-9 (A-V) which deals with corruption and corrupt practises as well as wealth beyond sources of income.
Similarly, the former minister claimed PML-N supremo Nawaz will also directly benefit from changes in Section-14 of the NAB, which relates to “presumption against accused accepting illegal gratification”. Under this section, the suspect who was bound to furnish a money trail will no longer be required to provide the same, he added.
“A blanket cover has been provided to all cases pertaining to money laundering and asset beyond means”, he regretted and added that after the amendment, the legal and statutory protection to NAB has been compromised and it has now come under the federal government.
PTI TO APPROACH SUPREME COURT
Shah Mehmood Qureshi revealed that his party has decided to approach the Supreme Court to challenge the amendments along with other election-related legislation passed by the government, saying “we also urge the top court to take notice of changes to the NAB law which has made the accountability watchdog dysfunctional”.
He was of the view that the entire exercise undertaken by the PML-N-led government was aimed at “benefitting” political personalities who were facing high profile cases.
He said the amendments approved by the government were in contravention of the UN Convention gainst Corruption and Financial Action Task Force requirements.
Qureshi said that around “80 per cent of NAB cases” will be transferred to other courts from accountability courts, saying “this is exactly what the PML-N and the PPP had been looking forward to for a long time”.
The PTI leader also objected to the passage of the Elections (Amendment) Bill 2022, which seeks to remove the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in general elections as well as disallows overseas Pakistanis from voting electronically.
“Overseas Pakistanis are significant contributors to our economy, but the PPP and the PML-N believe that Pakistanis based abroad are inclined towards the PTI, hence it excluded all of them from voting right, which is injustice,” the ex-minister added.
He said the PTI also planned to challenge the amendments to the election law as well.
Qureshi recalled that he contested polls in 2018 from NA-156 and PP-217 , saying: “I won the NA seat whose result was announced at 10pm, but I lost the provincial seat as its result was declared at 4am.”
He said the staff tasked with counting the votes and managing the entire process were the same. “I am telling you because I have seen this happen.”
The PTI leader said the electronic voting machines were introduced to eliminate chances of vote tampering, but the opposition did “where it finds its benefit”.
LEAKED AUDIOTAPE REJECTED
Meanwhile, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi rejected leaked audiotape between property tycoon Malik Riaz and former president Asif Ali Zardari.
Talking to media persons, the former foreign minister said that it is out of question that former prime minister Imran Khan would ask someone to patch things up for him. These people get united just to degrade PTI Chairman, he added.
It is important to mention that an alleged audio tape of famous property tycoon Malik Riaz delivering Imran Khan’s message to former President and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has been leaked.
In the telephonic conversation, Malik Riaz could be heard giving the ex-president the message of PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
The audio’s date and time have not been confirmed yet, but Malik Riaz could be heard saying that Khan has requested him to mediate between the two political leaders.
