LAHORE, June 19: Punjab law minister and PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah has hinted at instituting more corruption cases against President Asif Zardari after the latter loses the constitutional indemnity as head of state.

“The corruption of President Asif Zardari is not limited to Swiss bank accounts. He has set new records of corruption during the past five years,” Mr Sanaullah said in response to a query about Swiss authorities’ letter informing Islamabad that cases against the president were time-barred and could not be re-opened.

He told Punjab Assembly’s press gallery committee here on Wednesday that his party had considered brining the Swiss and new corruption cases under the purview of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) or setting up a new independent cell to deal with “corrupt elements irrespective of their party affiliations”.

“The proposed cell will not only retrieve the plundered amount but also hold the ruling elite accountable (for their misdeeds, if any).”

The minister told a questioner that former military dictator Pervez Musharraf was a “national culprit” and he should be tried under Article 6 of the Constitution. Nevertheless, he said the PML-N would surrender to the Supreme Court verdict on the issue.

About the local body polls, he said opinion of all stakeholders, including parliamentarians, people from different walks of life, voters and the media would be sought before finalising the relevant draft bill. The provincial assembly would further vet the bill before making it a law, he added. He hoped the proposed bill would be passed in the next assembly session after which local government polls would be held within six months.

He clarified that the first stage of the local polls (councillor level) would be held on non-party basis while the second stage (mayors of metropolis, districts and towns) would be party-based.

The minister said the PML-N government was determined to change thana and patwar culture as the process of computerising the revenue record was almost complete.

He said police sub-inspectors would be recruited through the Punjab Public Service Commission exam and graduates would be eligible for appearing in it.

He said the police investigation system would be synchronised with forensic science and policemen would be imparted special training to carry out proper and impartial investigation of cases.

Rana Sana told a questioner that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had set up a protest camp at Minar-i-Pakistan lawns during the PPP tenure against ‘unjust’ distribution of electricity. As the federal government had now pledged an end to unjust power distribution, there was no need to set up such camp again, he added.