ISLAMABAD: Jamaat e Islami (JI) Ameer Sirajul Haq on Tuesday called for the power to appoint the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman to be taken away from the Prime Minister.
Haq claimed that all state institutions including NAB were busy protecting rulers rather than the rights of the Pakistani people.
“NAB is still only gathering relevant information over Panama leaks despite it has come to open before eight months. This means NAB is taking no action against corrupt rulers which is a sheer injustice with nation. Those thriving on hard earned money of people are busy in protecting the court (darbar) of rulers rather than rights of people”, he said while talking to media outside the Supreme Court, during an interval in the Panama Leaks case hearing.
The Panama case is of paramount importance to the nation, he said, adding that the role being played by national institutions in saving the rulers reflects that they are facilitators in corruption and plundering.
Siraj remarked that his party’s stance, that the institutions working under political leadership cannot function judiciously unless they are made powerful, was being corroborated in the Panama case.
He emphasised that as long as the NAB chairman was appointed by the PM and opposition leader, no one can imagine any justice from this institution.
“ I think that the powers of appointing chairman NAB be taken away from PM and opposition leader and be given to chief justice of Pakistan and chief justices of all the four high courts and Islamabad high court so that functioning of this institution in fair and transparent manner could be ensured,” he demanded.
Those who are involved in corruption and all their facilitators are criminals, he said adding that every government officer and employee, political leader and worker is minting money through unfair means.
The JI chief noted that an important opportunity had presented itself in the form of the Panama case therefore, it should be capitalised upon with across the board accountability starting directly from the PM should be initated. He added that this was necessary as in Pakistan’s system big dacoits stay at the helm of affairs and small thieves are sent behind bars.
He asserted that the entire nation stood behind the Supreme Court for accountability in connection with the Panama case, stating his hope that the decision in the case comes in favour of the people and against the corruption.
