ISLAMABAD – STAFF REPORTER/AGENCIES  - Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Wednesday asserted that voting in favour of the new accountability bill in its current form was tantamount to legalising corruption.
“It is a ‘dacoity’ bill meant to provide protection to plunderers,” Nisar said while interacting with the media outside the Parliament House.
The PML-N, he said, would not support such a fragile bill that was not designed against thefts and irregularities.
“We – the PML-N – would not blacken or image by supporting this bill,” Nisar said while seeking support against its passage from the MQM and ANP – major allies of the ruling PPP.
“I ask the MQM to lend support to the opposition. We expect the ANP will not help the government in the passage of this bill,” he said, and held that the PML-Q had compromised its faith with President Zardari.
Nisar recalled that his party proposed 58 amendments to accountability bill three-and-a-half years ago. “Thirty-six meetings were held and the government side agreed to 54 out of these 58 amendments,” he said while deploring that that bill had been put aside which Zahid Hamid, Anosha Rehman, Saira Tarar and Justice Cheema worked on.
“Under the newly-tabled bill, neither any corrupt person will be jailed nor arrested. Only reference will be sent which will entail disqualification and that too only for a short period,” explained the PNL-N leader. “We want accountability that no one could escape from.”
He alleged that steps were being taken to whiten black money under an amnesty scheme through stock exchanges. Condemning the attack on Malala Yousafzai, Nisar said the assault was a question mark on the performance of the incumbent government. He also prayed for early recovery of the wounded peace worker.