PML-N is the victim of same NAB law which it refused to amend
PML-N and PPP promised to bring in the new accountability law for across the board accountability
PML-N
leaders including Maryam Nawaz in her press conference condemned the
arrest of Shahbaz sharif and criticised the PM Imran Khan for using NAB against
opposition leaders. She also alleged that NAB has been used for political
engineering.
What the
PML-N leaders are facing today is the result of not implementing the pledge
made in Charter of Democracy. Both PML-N and PPP promised to change the NAB law
and to bring in the new accountability law. But it never happened.
Former Prime
Minister and leader of PML-N Mian Nawaz Sharif and former Prime Minister and PPP chairperson Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed signed the historic Charter
of Democracy (COD) on May 15, 2006 in London. Both BB Shaheed and Nawaz Sharif
were living in exile when they signed COD.
The PML-N
leadership then thought that most of the cases under existing laws were made
against PPP leadership so they have nothing to worry about. They thought that
if NAB laws were amended or replaced, it will benefit the PPP. PML-N leaders
were thinking that they will never face the situation they faced during
Musharaf regime again. The history proved that they were shortsighted and
wrong.
To keep PPP
leadership under pressure, PML-N refused to change or amend the NAB laws. Both
the parties lost an opportunity to repeal the draconian NAB laws and replace it
with better one. PML-N leaders are now facing the NAB cases and arrests under
the same NAB laws made during the military dictatorship of General Musharaf.
The history
clearly tells us that NAB laws were used for political engineering and as a tool
to change political loyalties. The creation of PML-Q as a king’s party and
PPP-patriots were the manifestation of that process.
Now both parties are talking about a new charter of democracy. In my view, 2006 charter of Democracy still provide guidelines for a new accountability law.That is exactly what the both parties said about NAB laws and accountability process in COD more than 14 years ago.
“Taking
serious exception to the vilification campaign against the representatives of
the people, in particular, and the civilians, in general, the victimisation of
political leaders/workers and their media trials under a Draconian law in the
name of accountability, in order to divide and eliminate the representative
political parties, to Gerrymander a king's party and concoct legitimacy to
prolong the military rule;
(d) To replace
politically motivated NAB with an independent accountability commission, whose
chairman shall be nominated by the prime minister in consultation with the
leader of opposition and confirmed by a joint parliamentary committee with 50
per cent members from treasury benches and remaining 50 per cent from
opposition parties in same manner as appointment of judges through transparent
public hearing. The confirmed nominee shall meet the standard of political
impartiality, judicial propriety; moderate views expressed through his
judgements and would have not dealt.”
But
unfortunately when time comes to implement the COD with full spirit, PML-N
backed out to please the powers that be. No lessons were learnt. The history is
once again repeating itself. The PML-N once again the target of these draconian
laws used by PML-N against PPP leaders.
Charter of
Democracy still provide the basis to repeal the existing NAB laws and replace
it with balanced laws for accountability of everyone without any exception.
Most of the
laws being used by current PTI government were either made during Musharaf
regime or PML-N government. The same laws that PML-N now criticise were proudly
passed during the tenure of PML-N. The PML-N then refused to consider the
concerns shown by civil society and opposition parties including PPP.
Khalid Bhatti
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