No Interference In Accountability Process, NAB Functioning Independently: Prime Minister

Prime minister Imran Khan Saturday said that Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf government wanted accountability of all those who had embezzled the public money and therefore, ensured functioning of National Accountability Bureau and other investigation agencies completely independent, free from any political interference

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Nov, 2020 ) :Prime minister Imran Khan Saturday said that Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf government wanted accountability of all those who had embezzled the public money and therefore, ensured functioning of National Accountability Bureau and other investigation agencies completely independent, free from any political interference.

In a private tv (Express news) programme, the prime minister to a query replied that National Accountability Bureau was functioning independently and the government had no control over it.

The NAB cases which the both leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-N were facing now, had been instituted by them against each other during their tenures in government, he maintained.

The prime minister said the PTI's government had nothing to do with these cases. The government wanted accountability of all those who had embezzled public money. The investigation and accountability institutions in the country were now functioning independently, he stressed.

The prime minister further said when the PTI government came into being, sons of Nawaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar, Salman Shahbaz etc, had already left the country.

He said BBC's two documentaries were based upon the corruption of leadership from both these parties.

They wanted to get another NRO as they tried to blackmail the government on Financial Action Task Force (FATAF) legislation, he added.

The prime minister in response to a question regarding investigation into sugar inquiry report, maintained that for the first time in the country's history, legal proceedings were initiated against sugar cartel.

He said further process was underway as two FIRs were also registered in the case. Now, certain cases were pending before the Competition Commission.

Expressing his resolve, the prime minister said all those involved would have to face the law of the land.

"I will not interfere in this process," he said, adding the institutions and departments investigating the issue had been given full independence.

These institutions were made weaker in the past, the prime minister said.

About Jahangir Tareen's, the prime minister said that he had worked for the party for long time and they remained very close. Tareen had been passing through difficult time and according to Tareen's claims ,the cases against him were wrongly framed; the prime minister replied in response to a query.

To another question, he said there were no corruption cases against Firdous Ashiq Awan which had made basis for her removal from the information ministry.

About appointment of Naeem Bukhari in the board of directors of PTV, the prime minister said that being familiar and well-known personality who had been regularly appearing on ptv since 1970 with immense experience, so he had requested Bukhari to accept the post.

The prime minister regretted that once PTV dramas as had enjoyed huge popularity even across the borders.

The prime minister agreed that opposition should also get coverage on PTV like the BBC, TRT and Al Jazeera which also reflected governments' points of view.

About performance of chief minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, he said after completion of his five years term, he would be the only most successful chief minister of the province due to his performance including his development initiatives like healthcare insurance to all residents of the province.

For the last thirty years in Punjab, the same system had been intact which was politicized, certain changes could be justified, he replied in response to a query regarding different bureaucratic changes made by the chief minister.

"Change does not mean you are at fault, rather striving to achieve for optimal performance, he added.