LAHORE, Feb 09 (TNS): A spokesperson of the Punjab government on Friday strongly refutes accusation labeled National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal that some departments of the Punjab government are not cooperating with the accountability watchdog.
The spokesperson said that there is no truth in the statement as all the departments of the government are fully cooperating with the accountability bureau. He maintained that a high-profile official such as the NAB chief should avoid giving such statements against the government whose hallmarks are transparency and merit, on public platforms.
“If he or the bureau has had any complaints towards any of the provincial departments, he should have had communicated to the government on an official level for its redressal,” concluded the spokesperson.
NAB chief Iqbal on Thursday had complained that the departments of the Punjab government were not cooperating with the anti-graft watchdog, and warned that such an attitude would not be tolerated in the future.
Saying that he would make all-out efforts to reject bail of influential culprits who pressurise witnesses, the NAB chief had added that those who give directives on someone’s orders will eventually have to bear the brunt of their wrongdoings.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Friday submitted an adjournment motion on NAB chief’s statement that departments of the Punjab government are not cooperating with the bureau.
The adjournment motion was submitted by the PTI leader and opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Mehmoodur Rashid.
The motion says that the NAB chief had said that non-cooperation of the Punjab government was intolerable since Rs84 billion was looted. In his motion, Mehmood called for a debate in the provincial assembly so that the truth is revealed before the nation.
Meanwhile, PTI core committee member Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was trying to become the “Wall of China” to save themselves from the NAB, but all of the ruling party’s plans will meet failure.
“Failures and corruption of rulers have rendered the country bankrupt. Democracy and corruption cannot go side by side. The nation stands by the Supreme Court. Accountability must continue until the apprehension of the last corrupt person,” he said.
Addressing the party workers in his office, he said that threats to the NAB by the PMLN are self-evident before the whole nation, but the NAB must continue a free and fair accountability process until the eradication of corruption.
“Pakistan cannot prosper until the eradication of corruption,” he said.
