ISLAMABAD: The government in the Senate Monday welcomed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s demand that the Broadsheet issue should be referred to the Committee of the Whole.
The government also offered dialogue to the opposition on electoral reforms, National Accountability Bureau-related reforms, judicial reforms or any other suggested by the other side. Advisor to the PM on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan offered dialogue while winding up debate on the ‘rigged GB elections and the loans’.
He clarified that some TV channels were speculating that a certain political party was to be banned in relation to foreign funding. Leader of Opposition Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq charged that the GB election was even worse than 2018 general election.
“The Supreme Court of Pakistan judgment in Hanif Abbasi vs. Imran Khan case has settled this matter, in which it has declared the Election Commission neither a court nor a tribunal and the foreign funding proceedings are being carried out under the Election Order 2020,” Babar noted.
He said under the law, the maximum penalty in case of foreign funding proved from prohibited sources could be forfeiture of funds to that extent and that as per the Constitution, the powers to ban a political party rested with the apex court and the judgment says that the federal government could file a reference in this context.
When the judgment was announced, he pointed out, the previous government had 164 days to file a review petition, which it had not till the day its term ended. Babar said the PTI had shared all the related documents with the ECP scrutiny committee and other parties should also do the needful.
“The government welcomed the proceedings on foreign-funding,” he remarked. Referring to the opposition parties, he said there could be no reforms by issuing the blame-game statements.
He said the government would support a vibrant accountability system, which should be transparent and swift. He urged the opposition to support the two bills being moved soon in the Parliament out of which one was a constitutional amendment and the other an amendment to the Elections Act, 2017.
He said the government would welcome proposals on how to make the electoral process and results acceptable. About promulgation of ordinances, he explained that it was a question of good and bad ones and of need, as over 70 ordinances promulgated during Musharraf regime were validated and the one not validated afterwards was the National Reconciliation Ordinance. If ordinances were bad, he proposed, then they should collectively bring a constitutional amendment to do away with Article 89.
“By making speeches, election can’t be fair. Come forward and show the path,” he said with reference to the GB polls and said if the opposition won, it was a fair election and if it lost, then it was unfair.
PML-N Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi speaking on the Broadsheet revelations, demanded that Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani summon the Committee of the Whole meeting on the matter, as he challenged the figures shared by PM’s Advisor on Accountability Shahzad Akbar, earlier.
“We want the Committee of the Whole to deliberate on this. Who had done these agreements and who made offers and who tried to get away with it? Truth should surface,” he said. His suggestion was welcomed by Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz by thumping desk and then taking the floor to welcome it so that the nation got the whole picture.
Mian Raza Rabbani pointed out that the details shared by the advisor were linked to the agreement between NAB and Broadsheet signed during the Musharraf rule and NAB chairman at that time was General Amjad. He suggested that the agreement should be shared with the House and discussion be held on it in the next session, to which Shahzad Akbar agreed. Babar Awan also welcomed the proposed discussion. Muhammad Ali Saif of MQM contended that the Committee of the Whole could exercise a civil court powers and summon anyone. He suggested that those went to London in 2008 and 2016, should also be summoned as well as those, who know lived in London.
Earlier, PPP parliamentary leader in the House Sherry Rehman said, “We need answers on sugar-wheat scandal, petrol inquiry and LNG crisis. Everything is being brushed under the rug. NROs are being given to each other but accountability should be across the board and they must give us credible answers. Committees should be called”.
She said instead of addressing her concerns over the LNG fiasco, the minister concerned blamed the last governments, attacked the opposition as usual and ignored the real issue. “He must answer why they did not purchase gas through Forward Contract Premium for $4- 4.5 which they could have easily supplied in the winters? Why was this opportunity missed?”
“According to official statistics, the price of wheat per kilo has increased from 35 rupees to 85 rupees. Sugar prices have increased from 55 rupees per kilo to 110 rupees. Electricity was 9 rupees per unit and now it is for 20 rupees per unit. Petrol has increased from 85 rupees per litre to 110 rupees. This has all happened under the Tabahi Sarkar,” she said.
