LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif Saturday said that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) should remain confined to its objectives as a responsible anti-corruption watchdog.
In a statement, the chief minister urged the accountability bureau to function responsibly. He said that the government wants an effective accountability mechanism in place in the country, however it would not allow any department to influence the projects of national importance.
The statement has come days after Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif criticised NAB activities, accusing the institution of raiding homes of innocent people. Addressing a gathering of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers in Bahawalpur, the prime minister had said that the bureau should improve its working and act responsibly. He had also instructed the NA|B chairman to take notice of the issue.
In the days that followed, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah held a couple of press conferences in the provincial capital to clarify the ruling party’s stance after prime minister’s criticism opened a debate on the issue. Sanaullah said that prime minister’s statement should be taken as a recommendation and not criticism. The premier has the mandate to instruct NAB if the need arises, he said, and added that he is liable to offer a valid justification if corruption worth a single penny is proven against him. He urged different sections of society to draw positive conclusion from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s statement regarding bureau’s working. He also said that Punjab government would welcome bureau’s action against corrupt officials in the province.
