report in Pakistan Today, Dec 24, 2020
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s anti-graft watchdog is engaged in human rights violations, Senate Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla claimed on Wednesday, criticising the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for “killing people and dropping off their bodies at hospitals”.
Mandviwalla said that he spoke to civil liberty bodies about the anti-corruption watchdog’s alleged malpractices, but they feared highlighting that their alleged human rights violations would tarnish Pakistan’s image around the world.
“NAB accuses everyone of being thieves and robbers”, he said, asking: “How dare it level such allegations against people?”
“Women call and narrate what the NAB has done to them and their families. This institution is killing people and, when they die, it leaves their bodies in the hospital,” he said.
“NAB is violating human rights. I spoke to human rights organisations about it, but they are afraid that talking about it will ruin Pakistan’s image. Not a day goes by when I do not receive a call about the NAB’s [alleged atrocities] and its actions,” he added.
The Senate official claimed he had received calls from abroad wherein people told him they left the country due to the anti-graft body’s harassment.
“We have made the NAB into a monster,” he added, challenging the watchdog’s representatives to appear in front of a committee if they had done nothing wrong.
“NAB chairperson [Javed Iqbal] should have the courage to listen to these families’ woes,” he added, underlining that he would provide a list of people who have been affected by the anti-corruption body.
Meanwhile, Adviser to Prime Minister on Interior Shehzad Akbar, while addressing a press conference, said that the Senate deputy chairman cannot use his position for his personal gains. He said that every letter of opposition’s draft on NAB rules is equivalent to NRO as all those who made amendments are accused in cases of anti-graft watchdog.
Responding to Akbar’s statement, Mandviwalla slammed said that he should “not tell parliamentarians what to do” and “stop meddling” in the parliament’s affairs.
He said that Akbar did not have any right to tell him not to pass a privilege motion. “So now Shahzad Akbar will tell the parliamentarians how to run the parliament? I want to tell him that a privilege motion is a right of each parliamentarian, not just mine,” he said.
“They can raise and file a privilege motion at any time, at any place, and you’re no one to tell parliamentarians not to call meetings or raise privilege motions. Focus on your own work and stop meddling in the Parliament’s workings,” the Senate’s deputy chair added.
Mandviwalla said that the parliamentarians being mentioned had worked with him in the opposition and agreed with the issue he had raised. “They may probably not speak in the press about it but they’re all standing strong with me and you see what happens the day the [parliament] session is called,” he stressed.
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/12/23/senate-deputy-chairman-reveals-details-of-nabs-alleged-human-rights-violations/
