Govt, opposition to evolve consensus on national issues in parliament: Shafqat     

• “We have introduced a bill in the National Assembly regarding reforms in National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to further strengthen its investigation process and also bring transparency in the system,” he said talking to a private news channel.

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, Shafqat Mahmood Friday said the incumbent government and opposition parties would evolve a consensus on national and public interest issues in the Parliament to streamline the system to yield desirous results.

“We have introduced a bill in the National Assembly regarding reforms in National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to further strengthen its investigation process and also bring transparency in the system,” he said talking to a private news channel.

The minister said NAB was an independent institution and carrying out investigation without influence of the government, adding NAB had detained many corrupt elements and plunderers in corruption cases including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

He said both the previous governments of Pakistan Peoples’ Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had failed to bring amendments in NAB laws during their regimes.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government wanted legislation in NAB laws through parliamentary procedure to make improvement in its probing system, he added.

Shafqat Mahmood said the PTI government was ready to approach with the opposition parties to evolve consensus on national issues in broader perspective.

Replying to a question, he said the present government had decided for extending the three years tenure of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) pertaining to national and regional security situations.