PML-N senators seek money trail of SAPMs, advisers’ assets

ISLAMABAD: The PML-N Wednesday called in the Senate for provision of money trail of those, whose assets details were made public recently amid a strong call for the establishment of a Federal Accountability Commission to ensuring there were no holy cows.

On a proposal by the JI Senator Sirajul Haq, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani agreed that there would be a Senate session on August 05 exclusively for discussion on post-August 05, 2019 Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) and Pakistan’s way forward. Leader of Opposition Raja Zafarul Haq regretted that while Kashmiris observed the Accession to Pakistan resolution, adopted on July 19, 1947, there was no such activity in Pakistan.

PML-N Senator Mushahidullah Khan said there was a recent example of foreigners being brought into the cabinet who had no place as such under the law. Talking about dual citizenship, he said that the foreigners in the cabinet showed their assets two years later, but it was not a matter of pride and now their money trail should be revealed, being the demand of the nation.

He said that corruption of even one rupee against the PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif could not be proved. He asked the dual nationals should tell how much tax they paid in two years and remarked, “Those who do not pay taxes are deciding the fate of the Pakistani people.”

Addressing the PTI leaders in the House, he said, “I tell the real people of PTI that dual nationals have nothing to do with PTI, they are ATMs."

Senator Mushahidullah said that it seemed that anti-national elements were sitting in the state-run TV and those who pointed out problems, were terminated and fired.

About IOJ&K, Senator Mushahidullah said that Mehbooba Mufti, Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah had been in custody for a year, what was the Pakistani government doing in these circumstances.

Speaking on a point of public importance, the PPP leader Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, while talking about the Supreme Court's remarks about the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), said that the first anti-corruption law was passed in Pakistan by the Constituent Assembly, so to say that parliamentarians were afraid of accountability was factually wrong.

He said that things derailed in Pakistan when there were five standards of a law, the law applies to you differently if you belong to the ruling elite, if you belong to the ruling elite of Pakistan and you are a civilian, it will apply differently. The senator said it was a historic duty of the Parliament to fight for inexpensive justice and across the board accountability.

“Though, there was no legal or constitutional impediment, even then keeping in view the requirements of transparency as per his party's manifesto, the prime minister directed his advisers to declare their assets not only but also to these be made public,” said Leader of the House Senator Dr Shahzad Waseem while responding to the opposition senators.

He said that it was also important and required transparency about what one’s financial status when he became part of the government and how rich was he when he left.

Senator Dr. Shahzad said it was stated that the advisors and special assistants sit while sensitive decisions were made, and noted, “I would like to ask whether Tariq Fatemi Sahib and Sartaj Aziz Sahib used to head the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the same time. Were there no sensitive decisions regarding foreign affairs at that time? It was permissible for you. It is illegal for us. Eliminate double standards politics.”