News Desk |
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman Justice (Retd) Javed Iqbal said that the NAB laws are black law only for those who are involved in corruption. He made this statement while addressing a ceremony in Multan on Thursday, May 2, 2019.
“Many Socrates and Platos have come to life who have never read the NAB law but still criticize and call it a black law,” said the NAB chairman.
Earlier this week, former president and Pakistan Peoples’ Party Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, in a bizarre statement had told reporters outside an accountability court that either NAB or the economy would work; two couldn’t co-exist.
While addressing the gathering today, bureau chief categorically rejected what he termed as “malicious propaganda” against the watchdog, while vowing to continue work according to the Constitution of Pakistan.
Read more: NAB seeks more answers from Hamza Shahbaz
Taking jibe at Zardari, Iqbal said, “The people who say that NAB and economy cannot go together are wrong. Instead, they should say that NAB and corruption cannot go together but NAB and economy can.”
The NAB chairman said, “If NAB was a black law, the Supreme Court would have abolished it.” “This is a black law for those who are still involved in stealing,” the chairman stressed.
He said that he has always welcomed criticism, but it should be logical and conceivable. The NAB chairman warned that the accountability watchdog would act against those taking part in corruption. “If there wasn’t corruption, Pakistan would not need to take loans.”
Read more: NAB, economy can’t go together: Zardari
Justice (Retd) Iqbal further said there was no person who could dictate NAB, adding there was propaganda being done against the bureau. “The time when corruption was overlooked has passed,” the NAB chairman warned. “If anyone commits corruption, then he/she will have to confront NAB.”
The chairman said that there is a room of improvement in plea bargain section under National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999.