Senate passes resolution to disband NAB

ISLAMABAD - The Senate on Friday unanimously passed a resolution for the abolition of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) while repealing ban on trade unions.   

The resolution for the abolition of NAB was moved by Senator Latif Khosa after Senator Safdar Abbasi moved a privilege motion in the House, stating that some officials of the Bureau had manhandled him while he was coming out of the court along with his cousin, Sikandar Abbasi.

Senator Abbasi said that his cousin was acquitted by the Court in a case and was granted bail in another. However, he said, a Deputy Director, an Inspector and some other officials of the NAB arrested his cousin and insulted him when he intervened.

He maintained that NAB officials had breached his privilege besides that of the august House and demanded the officials to be summoned in the House and the matter should be referred to the Senate Committee on Privileges.

Meanwhile, other members of the Upper House of Parliament, both from treasury and Opposition benches, strongly condemned the incident and demanded that the House should pass a resolution to abolish the Bureau.

Leader of the Opposition in Senate, Senator Kamil Ali Agha said that the NAB officials had breached the privilege of the House. He demanded a thorough probe into the matter and said that the officials involved should be punished under law.

Dr Babar Awan termed the NAB as a black mark over the judicial system of the country and a burden on the national exchequer. Senators Wasim Sajjad, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and Saadia Abbasi, too, called for the abolishment of the Bureau.

Leader of the House Mian Raza Rabbani said that the government had already frozen NAB’s budget and was about to disband the same. He said the institution had been largely used for political victimization in the past.