ISLAMABAD: Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwalla on Sunday lashed out at National Accountability Bureau (NAB), urging Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to take action and 'save the country and its economy from destruction at the hands of the NAB'.
Addressing a press conference here Sunday, Mandviwalla alleged the NAB for committing human rights violations in the alleged pretext of accountability in clear violations of the apex court directives and in contradictions of the Prime Minister and Army Chief's assurances to businessmen that they will not be harassed.
"When we talk about the human rights violations in the Indian occupied, why don't we see the human rights violation being committed by the NAB...because if you talk about the NAB, you will receive a notice and phone call from a NAB official, Mudassir" he maintained.
"You may know what the Supreme Court has stated about the NAB, what the chief justice of Islamabad High Court has stated about the NAB...It's a blackmailing "organization", it's an organization involved in "extortion"...It's a body which is committing human rights violations," he maintained, adding that he has decided that he will now raise the human rights violations being committed by the NAB at every international forum.
He particularly named Engineer Irfan Mangi, director general NAB, alleging that he was using the name of Pakistan Army for blackmailing people. "I would like to appeal to Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa not to support such people who are destroying the image of the institution. If someone else within the Army is supporting him [Mangi], please don't support him, because he is eventually bringing a bad name to the Army who claims that they get instructions from the Army and that he has been posted by the army. I would also like to ask who is giving him the directions...?" he posed a question.
He warned that such practice should come to an end, as the economy is already showing a negative trend as per the report of the State Bank of Pakistan. "For God sake, have a mercy on this country and its economy. People now prefer to invest in foreign countries due to such humiliating tactics," he added.
Referring to the case of former PIA MD Ijaz Haroon and his brother Nadeem Mandviwalla, a businessman, he maintained that the NAB was allegedly pressuring them into entering into a plea bargain. "When I was called [by the NAB], they told me to ask Ijaz Haroon to inter into a plea bargain. If he fails, then we will go after you and will arrest your brother...Engineer Mangi sahib has been assigned for the NAB engineering," he added.
He also announced that the Senate Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges will probe all the team of NAB, Rawalpindi. "I myself will probe the entire team...I have already asked the chairmen of the human rights committee, privileges committee and law & justice committee to summon the NAB Rawalpindi team and asked them how Mangi sahib was appointed and for what purposes and agenda? The Supreme Court has also asked it [NAB] but they failed to respond so far...the NAB Rawalpindi team is blackmailing people by using names of the Army," he added.
He added that it was for the first time in history that the Senate of Pakistan is facing a tough time because of the NAB. The NAB has recently frozen Mandviwalla's assets in connection with a fake accounts case through Benami shares.
He said that several members of the national assembly (MNAs) and senators have landed in trouble because of the NAB and people are "blackmailed" and humiliated in closed rooms during investigations.
"I will also take up the issue on the Senate floor and discuss it...The NAB has accused me of making an anonymous transaction but I will show to the world that I have not done any such thing," he added.
He added that the DG NAB Irfan Mangi has been accusing him of not doing any business despite him being related to the business industry for the last four generations.
"Earlier, I used to write letters to the Prime Minister, but now I will reveal all information to the media. All members of the NAB should disclose their assets too and I will raise this matter in the Senate," added the deputy chairman Senate. He said that a resolution would be moved in the Senate asking the NAB officials to declare their assets, besides inviting to the committee all those who had entered in the plea bargain with the NAB.
He said that the anti-corruption body should go after the corrupts, but refrain from harassing the genuine businessmen such as Miftah Ismail who are a well reputed family of Karachi. Mandviwalla also stated that he would also talk to Chairman NAB on the matter.
Chairman NAB takes notice
Following the presser, Chairman NAB former Justice Javed Iqbal took notice of the allegations levelled by the deputy chairman Senate and stopped the inquiry against him until review of his case as per the law.
"Chairman NAB, following the allegations, has summoned all the records of the case from [NAB] Rawalpindi forthwith," stated a statement of the NAB. It further stated that Chairman NAB has said that they respect all the parliamentarians as per the law. "He issued instructions to stop the case until further order to review it according to the law," the statement stated, adding that after a thorough investigation a decision would be taken whether or not to proceed further on the case.
It stated that as per the NAB laws; the anti-corruption body would also approach Mandviwalla to get his opinion.
It further stated that the chairman has also directed its zonal bureaus not to ask any hospital in the country for getting a record during the coronavirus pandemic and if it is very necessary then the concerned federal and provincial governments should be approached.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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