LAHORE - Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan yesterday came in defence of his party head and country’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on his statement against the NAB, saying PM Nawaz was quite competent to streamline performance of the bureau.
Mian Nawaz Sharif had warned the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Tuesday to change its way in dealing with the officials and keeping them in custody.
His words invited strong ire of the Opposition which terms the statement “a way to cut the NAB to a size where it cannot touch the powerful ruling elite”.
“If not Prime Minister, who would improve NAB’s performance?” asked Sanaullah while talking to media here.
He said NAB would not be allowed to act in Punjab merely for the sake of equating its actions carried out in another province.
The government, he added, was not vindictive to any political party. “Tales of corruption about PPP have been on everybody’s lips since the time of last PPP government,” the law minister commented.
“It’s the procedure which needs amendments, not the law. A person feels great embarrassment and disgrace when nothing wrong comes out against him after 90 days custody with NAB,” stated the PML-N minister, warning the bureau to perform carefully.
“The Prime Minster, as chief executive of the country, can pass orders in relation to the NAB. He (PM) is responsible to meet deficiency if any institution lacks,” said Sana, urging that the PM’s statement should be taken in a positive way.
He also rejected the references against PM Nawaz Sharif and his family members, saying that the cases were made during Gen Mursharraf era but charges were not proved.
At the same time, Sana said, the government would give free hand to NAB to act in Punjab where, he claimed, corruption of not a single penny exists. However he warned the bureau would not be allowed if it aimed to square account of any other province in Punjab.
To a question on the presence of Daesh in Punjab, he rubbished all the claims as baseless and said certain terror organisations in Punjab were exploiting the name of Daesh to their own benefits. “Many such people have been tracked down and taken into custody,” he added.
“The situation in Punjab is unlike Karachi’s, and the provincial security operatives are sufficient to deal with any threat.”
In this same breath, the Punjab law minister did not rule out calling Rangers and Army for help if needed.