Govt decides to expose opposition's bids for NRO
- By Web Desk -
- Dec 21, 2020
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to expose the opposition’s efforts for national reconciliation ordinance (NRO) before the masses, ARY News reported.
Addressing a press confine in Islamabad today, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Syed Shibli Faraz reiterated that the government will never grant any kind of NRO to the corrupt leaders.
He said the opposition had proposed 34 out of 38 amendments in the National Accountability Ordinance to hide the corruption of its leadership. The minister said they pressurized the government by proposing these amendments, at a time when the government was seeking opposition’s cooperation in Financial Action Task Force related legislation to bring Pakistan out of FATF’s grey list.
Syed Shibli Faraz said the opposition proposed that NAB should not have powers to take up cases reported before 1999 and should only take notice of corruption cases reported in the last five years.
Read More: Opposition wanted NAB not to probe less than Rs1bn corruption scandals: PM
He said the opposition also suggested that corruption cases of less than one billion rupees, willful default or writing off loan, and offence of money laundering should stay out of NAB’s purview.
The minister said another proposal is to change the definition of Benamidars, giving free hands to make corruption in the name of wife and children. It was proposed to allow convicts to contest elections till final disposal of their cases and disqualification should be up to only five years.
Shibli Faraz said these amendments if incorporated will grant corrupt leaders of opposition an NRO plus, making the NAB practically dysfunctional.
He said the gang of corrupt leaders is misleading the people by holding mass gatherings in the country. He said the opposition attempted to create a divide among institutions responsible for country’s security.
He said the government is functioning as per law and the constitution. The minister said the PTI-led government will fulfill all its pledges, including provision of 10 million jobs and five million houses, in its five-year term.