Senate session: Mandviwalla says will continue fight till declaration of assets by NAB officials

(Karachi) Senate Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla has claimed that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is threatening him with more inquiries if he did not stop speaking out against the anti-graft watchdog, local media reported on Friday.

Delivering a speech during the Senate session, Mandviwalla questioned the federal government's reservations to hold NAB accountable. "The families of NAB officers live abroad, who will check their returns? Our fight will continue until NAB officials declare their assets," he said.

He said if the Parliament is silent over the issue then there can be no hope for ordinary citizens. He claimed that he had been receiving messages threatening more inquiries if he did not stop speaking out."

You can initiate as many inquiries, I will speak out even more. I will hold a press conference every week with other NAB affectees," he said. urging the Parliament to meet people who have been 'targeted' by the anti-graft watchdog.

"On December 29, the bureau announced it was filing a reference against me but when asked, they said it has not been filed yet. Now, at long last, they have filed a reference," he said, demanding an open trial.

The deputy chairman emphasised that NAB is making doing business in the country difficult by going after everyone's accounts.

On the occasion, PTI leader Babar Awan underscored that legislation on accountability cannot be done by courts. "No government has tried to amend NAB laws," he regretted. "Institutions were set up but never allowed to function and become strong."

He argued that the current NAB set up was put in place by the previous government. "This is the first government that has wanted to introduce reforms," he said, adding that the PTI government had drafted a NAB Ordinance but parliamentarians have not yet decided on it.