News Analysis |
Federal Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal has accused the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of Pakistan of pre-poll rigging. The interior minister alleged that NAB was inactive in last four years but has suddenly become active only months before the 2018 general elections, he added.
Ahsan expressed fears for the economy to crash and stated that heavy investment may become a liability, if Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) fails to ensure the fair and transparent elections in the country. While addressing a public rally in village Raiyya Goraya, the minister said, NAB is acting against incumbent government and it’s for people of this country to see that NAB is indulged in pre-poll rigging.
He expressed concerns over the cross-institutional meddling which has put the country into an institutional altercation. In an attempt to put the heated arguments to rest, he requested all the institutions to not destabilize the country through confrontational politics and not interfere with each other which can potentially hinder the progression of the country.
The government started to give countless gas connections across Punjab to woe the voters. Government legislators have reached out to the public accomplishing small-scale development projects in each constituency and municipality, to buy votes.
Apparently, NAB did not start the inquiry over the alleged corruption of house of Nawaz in last year of the government’s tenure. Moreover, NAB had also opened the cases against the leaders of Pakistan People’s party and Pakistan Tehrek-e-Insaf. Recently, NAB started a probe against the senior PTI leader Aleem Khan. So, should PTI call this a pre-poll rigging?
Read more: Musharraf Vs Sharif Clan: Double Standards of Ahsan Iqbal & Interior…
The surge in the NAB’s activism can be attributed to the appointment of NAB chairman Javed Iqbal. Even last year, PML-N leaders lamented NAB over its pro-active policy. After the appointment of Javed Iqbal, Shehbaz Sharif had uttered an infuriating rhetoric against the institution and termed it a most corrupt institute of the country which is used for political vilification. He also labeled NAB a den of corruption rather than the institution for eradicating corruption.
Javed Iqbal, the current head of NAB, had assured after the appointment that agency will adopt a robust policy to eradicate corruption in the country. NAB’s actions against the bureaucracy is not a vengeance or campaign against any particulate party. In fact, these bureaucrats should not indulge in political affairs and should work independently of provincial or federal governments.
In an attempt to put the heated arguments to rest, he requested all the institutions to not destabilize the country through confrontational politics and not interfere with each other which can potentially hinder the progression of the country.
It is believed that Ashiana Housing society case might turn out to be the Panama Papers case for the Pakistan Muslim League-president and chief minister of Punjab Shehbaz Sharif. Speculations are rife that knowing the importance of Fawad’s standing in incumbent governments circles if he gets encircled, it may lead NAB to other big guns and high profile figures in the government.
Read more: Ahsan Iqbal vows to ban JuD and FIF ‘again’
Apparently, there is a possibility that any breakthrough into investigation may lead to an alleged connection between Shehbaz Sharif and high-level bureaucrats. Fearing the possibility, an incumbent interior minister is accusing NAB of pre-poll rigging. The fact of the matter is that allegedly, PML-N doled out whopping Rs54 billion to MPs and Rs64 billion to secure 100 NA seats.
The government started to give countless gas connections across Punjab to woe the voters. Government legislators have reached out to the public accomplishing small-scale development projects in each constituency and municipality, to buy votes. Can this not create a stir among the public? What is pre-poll rigging? NAB’s actions against corruption or spending billions on development projects in Punjab constituencies? People should decide.