KARACHI: The Sindh government has decided to request the centre to constitute a judicial commission to examine the actions taken by the Federal Investigation Agency in the province.

“The provincial government deems the actions of FIA and NAB (National Accountability Bureau) in Sindh as ‘a strode over move’ (sic) of their limits and jurisdiction,” said a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s House on Saturday.

It said Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had informed PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari that he was ready to constitute a judicial commission to look into the raids and seizures carried out by FIA in Sindh if the latter (Zardari) desired so.

“The Sindh government would appreciate if Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, in order to keep the record straight, takes a bold initiative to constitute a judicial commission to look into the FIA raids in Sindh,” the statement said.

According to the provincial government, the FIA had taken away more than 15,000 files of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. Sindh feels that the FIA had no authority and jurisdiction to conduct raids on its offices.

Provincial govt has reservations on ‘raids’ conducted by FIA

“The provincial government has its own mechanism to take action against corruption in its departments. The FIA, under a self-proclaimed authority, has taken over the role of an anti-corruption agency in the jurisdiction of the provincial government. This is unconstitutional, especially against the spirit of the 18th Amendment.”

The statement said the findings of the judicial commission would help remove misunderstandings developed on the issue of jurisdiction or actions of FIA and NAB in Sindh.

“This is a very good, pragmatic and bold offer on the part of minister for interior,” it said.

Amir Wasim adds from Islamabad: Reiterating his offer to constitute a judicial commission to look into allegations that the FIA was exceeding its mandate, Chaudhry Nisar said on Saturday that the federal government could move an application in this regard next week if the PPP leadership agreed to it.

In a statement, he asked the PPP-led Sindh government to go to court if it had any reservations over the FIA’s role in the KMC case.

The minister clarified that he had offered for scrutiny of all cases being pursued by the FIA during the present government’s tenure and not about any specific case.

He alleged that the PPP leaders through their statements had been making the FIA’s investigation into corruption cases controversial.

Chaudhry Nisar had offered on Wednesday to form a judicial commission to look into the role and performance of the FIA over the past two and a half years in a rejoinder to PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s claim that the FIA was following in the footprints of NAB in exceeding its mandate.

The minister had assured that the FIA would not be used against political opponents or innocent people as long as he held office. He, however, said the FIA would act with full force against the corrupt and not show any leniency.

Waseem Shamsi adds from Sukkur: Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah has said nobody should be worried about actions of the National Accountability Bureau in Punjab.

Talking to the media at his residence on Saturday, he said if Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had expressed his outrage over NAB actions in parliament, his credibility would have increased enormously.

He said the NAB had been taking action for some time in Sindh and Balochistan and if it did the same in Punjab nobody should fear. Instead, the system of NAB’s working should be corrected.

In reply to a question, the opposition leader said he was not aware that the NAB chairman had refused to meet the prime minister.

He said it was wrong to first arrest the accused, take his remand for 90 days and send him to prison and after two years he was declared an innocent. The NAB should first complete the investigation and then give the accused an opportunity to record his statement, he added. “Action must be taken against a corrupt person.”

He said Mr Sharif had opposed a proposal to close the NAB and set up an accountability commission, but now he himself was talking against the bureau.

The PPP leader said the government had claimed that the signing of an agreement for import of LNG with Qatar was its achievement, but gas would be costly.

He urged the government to take parliament into confidence on the issue of a terrorist attack on an airbase in the Indian city of Pathankot and the recent registration of an FIR in Gujranwala.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2016