KARACHI: Former chairman Senate and senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Senator Raza Rabbani on Friday described the recently-promulgated National Accountability Second Amendment Ordinance 2021 as ‘an egocentric move’ of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government that would ‘further erode space’ for parliamentary democracy and lead to ‘decline’ in institutional values in the country.

Addressing a press conference here, the seasoned parliamentarian alleged that the PTI government had a clear ulterior motive behind this ordinance and issued it with obvious ‘mala fide intent’, which no democratic force in the country could endorse and accept.

The rulers, he said, were hell-bent on changing the entire law to save one person so that their own scandals could remain hidden, he said.

He explained the ‘flaws’ and ‘ill-intentioned’ parts of the ordinance, which he claimed was not even shared with members of the cabinet and neither their approval was sought in line with the “Rules of Business 1973, of The Federal Government”.

Questions exemptions provided under Section 4 of new law

‘Not a good sign for parliament’

“This ordinance attempts to create a new ‘duo’, consists of president and chief justice of Pakistan,” he said citing one of the clauses of the ordinance. “This is not a good sign for executive and neither for the parliament. Similarly, it will weaken the democratic system. It would have deep impact and consequences which no democracy can afford.”

He said the ordinance on one hand favoured the “stubborn approach of someone”, and on the other facilitated another to get extension in services.

“We knew that there was a stubborn attitude from someone, and that the leader of the opposition would not be consulted on extension of NAB chairman services,” said Senator Rabbani. “This ordinance has not abolished this condition, but to meet the stubborn attitude a new clause is added that president has also been made part of this process. That’s why I call it egocentric.”

For ‘person specific’, he claimed that the whole episode was staged only to help one person and extend the services of the incumbent chairman.

Such an approach and mindset could benefit only individuals and badly damage institutions, democracy and system of justice in the country, he claimed.

The former chairman Senate then referred to Section 4 of the ordinance, which carried details of persons, officials, offices, procedures and stakeholders who would go off the radar of the NAB accountability process.

Mr Rabbani said and added that the ordinance had also excluded procedural lapses from the NAB purview.

He expressed wonder as to how the party which came to power with a slogan of ‘justice and accountability’ was ‘removing’ deterrence against the corruption and misappropriation of funds.

“Apart from that, advice and report have also been removed from the NAB purview. One only wonders what you [PTI government] have left behind to be checked or made accountable,” he added.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2021