ISLAMABAD - The President has summoned the National Assembly session today which may carry out heated discussion on the recently promulgated National Accountability Ordinance, 2019.
President Arif Alvi haphazardly called the national assembly session on a 24-hour notice, which may cause trouble for MNAs from Sindh and Balochistan to attend the proceedings in time. Alvi last week had promulgated the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 barring NAB from acting against the business community.
This new law offers more protection to public office-holders or government officials while at the same time excludes several financial sectors.
Under the Ordinance, inquiries and investigations shall stand transferred to the respective authorities or departments which administer the relevant laws of taxation, levies or imposts in question.
The ordinance also made it mandatory for NAB to obtain approval of a scrutiny committee, comprising NAB chairman, cabinet secretary, SECP chairman, FBR chief, and a law ministry representative, before taking action against any government official.
The opposition parties have strongly criticized the recently promulgated NAB ordinance. They declared the newly introduced NAB ordinance as “mother of all NROs”.
PPP MNA Shazia Marri said that the government wants to run the Parliament in a haphazard way like it is running the country.
“It was 5pm today [Tuesday] when the members were informed through media about the session of the Parliament to be held the very next day [Wednesday]. Neither the members were taken into confidence nor was the notification of the meeting issued,” said MNA from Sindh, in a statement.
