ISLAMABAD - Pakistan People’s Party yesterday declared the newly introduced National Accountability Bureau Amendment Ordinance as ‘mother of all NROs.’

Speaking at a news conference here, PPP leaders Qamar Zaman Kaira, Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and Nazir Dhoki condemned the new NAB Ordinance.

Qamar Zaman Kaira said that when Asif Ali Zardari had said that NAB and economy cannot go together, the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf had claimed that PPP was seeking amnesty under a National Reconciliation Ordinance-style amnesty.

“Today the government by introducing this NAB ordinance has in fact given NRO to its cronies. This is another U-turn by Imran Khan and his last U-turn is also round the corner which will be last U-turn of his political life,” he said.

Kaira said when the “need of selected ends then the selected are allowed taking last U-turn.” He said that NAB cannot conduct accountability of judiciary, Army, bureaucracy and the rulers. It can only conduct accountability of two opposition parties.The PPP leader thanked Rawalpindi police for providing good security for the Liaquat Bagh rally but demanded withdrawing of the First Information Report registered against PPP workers.

“The government erected as much hurdles as it could and PPP had to approach high court for holding this rally. PPP has always faced and struggled against dictatorships and now the party is coming out with new zeal and fervour against this government,” he said.

Kaira said the PPP “call this government a fascist government because it does not want us to hold political activities and contact people. No force in the world can keep PPP away from the people of Pakistan.”

The PPP Punjab President announced that before the death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in April, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will visit eight districts.

“Opposition will sit together to analyse the NAB ordinance which (Prime Minister) Imran Khan has introduced for his cronies and then chalk out its strategy regarding this ordinance,” he added.

INP adds: Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that the recent promulgation of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance, 2019 is a tacit admission by the government that the corruption watchdog “is a farce” and should be “abolished”.

Taking to twitter on Sunday, he claimed that the ordinance was “a proof that it agrees with President Zardari” that “NAB and the economy cannot run together”.

“Instead of clearly biased efforts, the government should work with opposition,” he said, advising the government to do its “job and legislate”.

The federal cabinet on Friday gave its approval to the NAB Ordinance, 2019, which was also approved by President Arif Alvi on the same day. Under the ordinance, NAB will no longer be allowed to take action against business community. Bilawal also condoled the death of mother of former Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Mehdi Shah.

Chairman PPP in a condolence message to Mehdi Shah on Sunday expressed his profound grief and sorrow over his mother’s death. He said that PPP is like a family. In this time of pain and sorrow Bhutto family and party is with you and your family, the message reads.Bilawal prayed to Almighty Allah for grant of eternal peace for the departed soul and strength and fortitude for the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss with equanimity.