NAB tells PAC PM asks Speaker to not seem earlier than committees The Express Tribune

Islamabad:

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) claimed on Thursday that Prime Minister Imran Khan had barred NAB chairman Javed Iqbal from showing earlier than parliamentary committees, together with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

The PAC was to have an in-camera session right this moment beneath the chairmanship of MNA Rana Tanveer Hussain, during which the NAB chief didn’t attend.

The motive for Iqbal’s absence was revealed in a letter written by the NAB to the Secretary of the Legislative Assembly, which acknowledged that PM Imran had authorised “representation of the Speaker NAB in his capacity as the Principal Accounts Officer before the Director General Parliamentary Committees”. which can embrace. PAC, Constitutional and Statutory Bodies”.

The letter stated the choice was taken “in view of the statutory functions and responsibilities of the Chairman of NAB”.

In addition, principal accounts officers have been barred from showing earlier than constitutional our bodies and autonomous our bodies.

Objecting to the letter, PAC chairman Rana Tanveer stated that he would write a letter to the cupboard division to confirm the letter of NAB.

He stated that if the foundations give energy to the Premier to elect the DG as a consultant rather than the Speaker, the committee will settle for the letter.

Reading PAC questioned NAB chief regarding recovery

Tanveer additional stated that the place of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was totally different from the place of the NAB President, claiming that the latter needs to be held accountable.

“If the government does not hold them accountable, the law will be misused. The money spent by the NAB president during his tenure will have to be accounted for,” he stated.

According to the PAC chairman, the cupboard secretary ought to have knowledgeable him by phone and in writing whether or not the notification has been made in accordance with legislation, and never as a result of he’s “beloved of the prime minister”.

He stated he must see what the legislation says, including that the federal government ought to needless to say it might have “far-reaching effects”.

Member National Assembly Noor Alam Khan – who’s a member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf – advised the media that the assembly was referred to as on the request of the NAB president, who claimed that he can be current, and even Chose your self the date of the assembly.

He claimed that it was unsuitable to incorporate the premier, as a result of if the letter was from PM Imran, it might have come from his secretariat or cupboard division.

“NAB cannot write letters to the National Assembly,” he stated.

Pakistan People’s Party Senator Sherry Rahman stated the NAB president himself final week requested the PAC to carry an in-camera assembly, the place he stated he would current the restoration figures himself.

“It was a sensitive matter and we all gave up our work to come to this meeting as our party also highlighted the importance of the meeting,” he stated.

The senator stated the assembly was scheduled at his chosen date, as requested by the NAB president, and was in-camera as he requested it to happen.

learn extra The process of appointment of NAB President interrupted due to delay

“We got a letter overnight about this decision,” she advised the media.

Taking to Twitter, Sherry Rahman stated that “all members across the board unanimously found this unacceptable and advised Chairman PAC to end the meeting”. She additional stated that “no one is above the law”.

PPP MNA Naveed Qamar additionally claimed that the NAB president didn’t wish to be held accountable by parliamentary leaders, however needed them to be held accountable earlier than them.

“The federal cabinet does not have the power to prevent the NAB president from joining the PAC,” he stated.

In the final listening to, the NAB President blessed Assurance The PAC stated it might go residence if it was not happy in regards to the appropriation of accounts and progress studies on the restoration of NAB since its inception within the in-camera briefing to be held on January 6, 2022.

This assurance got here after the PAC questioned him on unauthorized extra expenditure suggesting regularization from the National Assembly within the upcoming mini finances, in any other case the quantity was recoverable from the NAB.

During his final look earlier than the Supreme Accountability Forum of Parliament, the President of the NAB categorically acknowledged that whereas there needs to be little question that Parliament was an apex physique, including to his earlier absence didn’t imply that he was a There have been kings who might. Will not seem earlier than PAC.

A replica of the NAB letter accessible with The Express Tribune.