Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that the decisions about the country’s policy towards Afghanistan should be made in the parliament rather than behind closed doors. Speaking to journalists at the accountability courts in Karachi on Monday,
Abbasi said that Afghanistan was suffering from an endless war for the past 40 years and there must be peace now, which was in the best interests of everyone. He said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government must pronounce its foreign policy publicly since many did not know where the country was heading under their rule. He added that it was high time that the supremacy of parliament was accepted and the rule of law imposed otherwise the problems faced by the country would not be solved.
Taking a jibe at the PTI’s “accountability campaign,” he said the public was witnessing its impact in the form of inflation, unemployment, corruption and injustice. He demanded that a “truth commission” be set up to uncover those responsible for the country’s present situation and to bring them to justice.
He claimed the problems of the country have multiplied during this government. He said that no ministry was corruption free and the auditor general’s report had already pointed out this. The price of wheat and sugar had soared to all-time high levels, making these commodities going beyond the public reach.
Earlier, an accountability court heard the hearing of a reference against the PMLN leader and three others for making illegal appointments at the Pakistan State Oil. The case was however adjourned without any significant proceeding as the defence counsels sought time to prepare for cross examination of a prosecution witness.
The NAB had accused Abbasi, former petroleum secretary Arshad Mirza, PSO’s former managing director Sheikh Imranul Haq and deputy managing director and chief financial officer Yacoob Suttar for allegedly causing a loss of Rs138.96 million to the national exchequer. It said that Abbasi, as minister for petroleum and natural resources, in connivance with Mirza misused his authority while appointing Sheikh as MD and Suttar as DMD of PSO in violation of the rules and regulations and at exorbitant salaries ranging between Rs3 to Rs5 million per month.
The inquiry was conducted on the orders of Supreme Court on July 14, 2018. The probe found that Haq had a conflict of interest with PSO due to a liquified natural gas import agreement with his previous employer Engro Corporation of where he served as the senior vice president. According to the NAB, he promoted Suttar to the post of DMD out of the way and within a month of his joining.
The News
