Wednesday, 29 July, 2020 I 7 Dhul-Hijjah, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 31 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition
Govt and oPP loCk horns over anti-Graft law amendments g
Qureshi says Opp’s amendments call for excluding anti-money laundering laws from ‘list of offences’ ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
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HE opposition and government on Tuesday locked horns over proposed amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999, and a legislation related to the action plan of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). According to the government, the opposition’s proposed amendments to NAO were against the country ’s interest and will hurt Pakistan’s position in the FATF. “The opposition had proposed 35 amendments to the NAB ordinance which were presented before Prime Minister Imran Khan and after detailed discussion the PTI government decided to reject them,” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Tuesday. He was speaking on the floor of National Assembly after the Parliamentary Committee on Legislative Business comprising members of both opposition and treasury benches met to reach a consensus on proposed amendments to the law
that governs the country’s top graft buster, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Reading the opposition proposed amendments, Qureshi said anti-money laundering laws will be excluded from the “list of offences” of NAB if proposal was accepted. “This is against the objective of FATF and will cause damage to the Pakistan’s interest.” FATF has given the September 2020 deadline to Pakistan to comply with the 27-point action plan and the federal government is in the process of meeting the remaining legal requirements. Terming the suggestions “shocking”, the foreign minister said the opposition had proposed that cases below Rs1 billion should not be dealt by the country ’s top graft buster and the tenure of its chairman should also be reduced. “As a matter of fact the incumbent NAB chairman was appointed by PML-N and PPP with
consensus, we [PTI] had no role in it,” he said while dispelling the speculations that the government was mulling to extend tenure of NAB Chairman Javed Iqbal. In addition to this Qureshi said, the opposition had also objected the government’s suggestion of 10 years bar on NAB’s convict for holding any public office. “Instead they have [opposition] suggested to reduce it to five year which we think that no concessions should be given to those who plundered nation’s wealth.” Qureshi claimed that the opposition had linked changes to the NAB law with the FATF-related legislation. “When the PTI came into power, Pakistan was already on the FATF grey list,” he said, adding that he had “no doubt” over the opposition’s patriotism. “Everyone wants the sword hanging over Pakistan to be removed,” he said.
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PML-N’s Abbasi says Opp won’t negotiate with govt over NAB laws, says it lacks seriousness over the issue
“We are trying to bring Pakistan out of the grey list through diplomatic engagement. This is an issue of national security. At the last meeting in Paris, our efforts were lauded but we have to fulfill some more conditions which require legislation. “We require the cooperation of the opposition,” he said, adding that the government had introduced four bills. “These bills are time-bound; if we pass these bills today then our case will be reviewed by October.” The opposition wants to club the FATF and NAB bills, he said. “The FATF legislation is time-bound whereas we have been discussing changes in NAB’s laws for the past 10 years.” OPP WALKS OUT OF MEETING: Earlier, the opposition lawmakers staged a walk out from the proceedings of the committee after the government’s lawmakers refused to accept their suggestions. Addressing a press conference outside the Parliament House, PML-N leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said they won’t negotiate with the government over the NAB laws, alleging that the PTI government lacked seriousness over the issue.
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In-house change, mid-term polls’ on Opp’s APC agenda g
Bilawal says Imran Khan’s ‘selected’ govt has become a threat to masses LAHORE STAFF REPORT
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday separately met with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and Jamiat Ulema-e-IslamFazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman here to discuss ways to dislodge the “selected” government of
Prime Minister Imran Khan. He also held two separate press conferences after the meetings, saying that his party would stand by the joint opposition’s decision, including holding mid-term elections, following a multiparties conference after Eidul Azha. “Imran Khan’s selected government has become a threat to the masses,” the PPP chairman told journalists following his meeting with Shehbaz. “An in-
Coronavirus in
Pakistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
276,043
house change and mid-term elections among other options are on the table,” he added. “A very good news for the masses will come out of the APC [allparties conference] which will be held after Eid, he remarked. Speaking on the occasion, Shehbaz said the PTI government had failed to deliver, adding that the longer it stayed at the helm the more it will become a threat to the country. “This selected government is incapable of bringing the country out of trouble,” he added. The PML-N president also accused the PTI government of “witch-hunting”, questioning as to why NAB was unable
to investigate “massive corruption” in Peshawar Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) and Malam Jabba among other PTI projects. MEETING WITH FAZL: Following a meeting with Maulana Fazl earlier in the day, the PPP chairman blamed PM Imran for the hardship currently being faced by the masses, adding that the people
Traders protest as Punjab govt imposes lockdown ahead of Eid g
Business leaders call lockdown ‘economic murder ’ of traders, demand opening of shops till festival LAHORE
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
20
RECOVERED:
NEW CASES:
1,176 DEATHS:
242,436 5,881 SINDH:
119,398
PUNJAB:
92,279
KP:
BALOCHISTAN:
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
33,724
11,654
2,040/2,010 14,938
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more inside
Five CTD personnel martyred, five injured in Chilas raid STORY ON PAGE 02
Cabinet okays formation of commission to probe petrol crisis
SHAHAB OMER
A strict lockdown started across Punjab on Tuesday as police forcibly closed shops amid protests by traders, who called the provincial government’s directive to close businesses till August 5 ‘economic murder’ of the business community. Lahore’s Anjuman-e-Tajiran General Secretary Naeem Mir said in a press conference that the lockdown is not acceptable and business should be allowed to open till Eid as the business community was implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs) designed to curb the spread of Covid-19. “The government should make some considerations and immediately reverse its decision,” Mir said. “Markets all over Pakistan, except Punjab, are open. What is the fault of Punjab’s trader community? Traders should leave their homes and open shops.” Traders in other major cities of Punjab, including Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Jhang, also protested against the smart lockdown and vowed to open their shops. Faisalabad traders opened shops in surrounding areas of Clock Tower, Rail Bazaar, Makki Market and Gol Bazaar. On the other hand, police arrested several traders for violating the government’s orders. In Lahore, Pakistan Today observed that busi-
were on the same page against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government. The PPP chairman also condemned politics on the health condition of Shehbaz Sharif. “It is unfortunate to do politics on someone’s heath,” he said.
STORY ON BACK PAGE
nesses continued in various markets of the city such as Shah Alam Market, Neela Gumbad Bicycle Market, Flea Market Railway Station and Gold Market of Rang Mahal. The traders kept the shutters of their shops down and were present outside until the customers arrived. Upon their arrival, the shopkeepers would secretly let them in. Khalid Ameen, a buyer at the Neela Gumbad Bicycle Market, told Pakistan Today that he had bought two bicycles from a shop. “The shops are apparently closed, but the shopkeepers are sitting outside their shops or at some other spots, and when the customer comes, they figure it out, and the shop shutters are secretly opened, and the customer is allowed to enter the shop,” Khalid said.
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NAB chief okays new references against Sharif family, Abbasi STORY ON PAGE 02
Karachi continues to suffer from aftermath of rain STORY ON PAGE 02