Staff Reporter – Islamabad:
Prime Minister Imran Khan will never consult, Shehbaz Sharif, leader of the opposition, for the appointment of the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau, Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said Tuesday.
In a media talk after the Federal Cabinet meeting in Islamabad, he said that the extension of NAB Chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal was not discussed in the meeting. “The draft of the NAB ordinance has been drafted and will be issued tomorrow [Wednesday].”
It will remove every legal objection, Chaudhry said, promising that the new new ordinance will empower accountability courts. “The government wants to strengthen the system, not an individual.”
The PM has categorically refused to take consultation from Shehbaz because he has been accused by NAB. “Taking his consultation will be equivalent to asking a thief to choose his investigation officer.”
“It would have been better if we could consult a man who is not accused of money laundering. The opposition should change their leader,” the minister insisted.
He added that the government has repeatedly tried to hold talks with the Opposition regarding electoral reforms but didn’t get a positive response.
Pandora Papers
Fawad Chaudhry said the “high-level” inspection cell formed by PM Imran Khan will investigate all the 700 Pakistanis who have been named in the ICIJ’s Pandora Papers.
“The cell will investigate who owns offshore company and who does not,” the minister pointed out.
It will then present its recommendations to the prime minister by way of reports and the prime minister will issue orders in this regard based on these recommendations.
Sunday night, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists released 11.9 million leaked documents to expose the “financial secrecy” of world leaders and others.
Of the 700 Pakistanis named in Pandora Papers only seven are active politicians, ICIJ summary of the leaked data stated. The documents also reveal key information about money laundering, fraudsters, and drug dealers.
Electricity prices
The minister said that the government will give consumers a Rs7 per unit discount on the additional consumption of electricity during winters.
Talking about gas rates, he said that there’s a gas crisis across the world.
Reducing prisoners’ sentences
The federal cabinet has also decided to reduce the sentence of prisoners on the occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH); the nation observe the occasion with traditionally fervour and zeal.
