KARACHI: Former prime minister and disgruntled leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, has categorically said the country will not progress as long as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) exists.

Talking to reporters after appearing in an accountability court on Tuesday, he claimed that NAB had been created for political engineering and it continued to serve political purposes, adding that his case had been pending for five years without any progress.

Referring to former NAB chairman Javed Iqbal, he mentioned that during Imran Khan’s tenure, he (Javed Iqbal) was responsible for accountability, but now the ex-NAB chief blamed him (Mr Khan) for the cases while Mr Khan’s companions accused former army chief general Qamar Javed Bajwa of initiating those cases.

He said the country would not progress as long as NAB existed because in the given scenario no government official would be able to make decisions.

Hearing in reference on ‘illegal appointments’ adjourned till Aug 7

Denouncing the federal budget, he said the government had imposed taxes worth Rs4,000 billion, adding that they should close such institutions (including NAB) to reduce the tax burden on the public.

He added that even the government’s senators had criticised the budget, and their allies in the assembly had termed it an ‘anti-people budget’.

Though the government claimed it to be a ‘business-friendly’ budget, the reality was different, he said, adding that globally, incentives were given to exporters, whereas the PMN-L-led government had imposed taxes on them.

Mr Abbasi also stated that the budget attempted to exploit the masses in unprecedented ways. Though the government should have reduced its expenses, it was borrowing money to meet their needs.

In reply to a query regarding the recent government decision to eradicate extremism and terrorism from the country by launching Operation Azm-i-Istehkam, Mr Abbasi stated that every Pakistani must support any operation against enemies, but it was also essential to understand why there was a repeated need for such operations.

Speaking about his new political party, he mentioned that it had been formed and would be launched on July 6.

Earlier, Mr Abbasi appeared before the NAB court in a reference pertaining to the alleged illegal appointments of a managing director and deputy managing director of the Pakistan State Oil (PSO).

However, his lawyer filed an application seeking exemption as he could not appear as he was in Islamabad. The court allowed the application and adjourned the hearing till Aug 7.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2024