Cabinet paves way for signing NAB, FBI MoU

The federal cabinet on Tuesday accorded approval for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the US’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Though there were no details available about the content of the MoU, the country’s top graft buster had long sought assistance of the FBI to train its investigators along modern lines to fight corruption. The main idea behind the move was to keep NAB investigators conversant with new investigation techniques and methods to investigate white-collar crimes in an effective way. The MoU, according to some media reports, also allows sharing of information between the two organisations. Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari had raised serious objections to the move, saying it would open Pandora’s box in the country. However, the cabinet overruled the objections and approved signing of the MoU. In addition, the cabinet also approved filing of a case against Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Mufti Kifayatullah for speaking against the military. Addressing the post-cabinet meeting news conference, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz said that the cabinet took strong exception to the opposition’s statements against the army, adding that the opposition was out to please the country’s enemies. “Such statements [of the leaders of the opposition parties] are immediately picked up by Indian TV channels as breaking news,” the minister, who was flanked by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Petroleum Nadeem Babar, told the news conference. Faraz said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership, especially Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, was promoting anti-Pakistan agenda of the Indian lobby. Referring to remarks by Kifayatullah in a TV show, Faraz condemned the JUI-F leader as “shameful”, saying he appeared to be advancing India’s agenda. Earlier, the cabinet approved the filing of a case against Kifayatullah and directed the interior secretary to take action against him. Faraz said that the cabinet held an important session. “At the outset of the meeting, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the government would use all its resources to eradicate hunger and poverty through the Ehsaas programme for the rest of its term,” he said. According to the minister, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan briefed the ministers about the coronavirus-related figures and restrictions on travellers from the UK. “We are keeping an eye on the issue [pandemic],” he said. “We will control Covid despite the irresponsible meetings and rallies of the PDM,” he said, adding that in the first wave of Covid, we did not have the equipment, which had to be imported but now the devices are being made in the country. We have become self-sufficient.” According to the information minister, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) apprised the cabinet of the time-period required for the removal of encroachments from Margalla Road in Islamabad. The cabinet was told that the defence ministry had submitted a formal application to CDA for the approval of building plan and the contract of marriage hall in Sector E-9 had been cancelled. The ministers were informed that a protective wall along Margalla Road would be relocated to the approved boundary within six months. Wetland would be constructed for cleaning of the drains, passing through this sector within three months. The cabinet approved the posting of Frontier Constabulary in Gilgit Baltistan for a period of three years. This placement would be with the G-B’s departments of forests, wildlife and environment to ensure protection of natural resources in the area. The meeting also approved the release of Rs219.30 million for the ministry of health. The funds would be used for activation of recently completed Isolation Hospital and Infections’ Treatment Centre in Islamabad. The cabinet approved the appointment of Javed Ghani as Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman and Dr Muhammad Saeed Khan as Director General of the Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP). The cabinet also approved the appointment of 16 federal drug inspectors in the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and the allocation of their jurisdiction. The cabinet endorsed the decisions of the Privatization Commission and the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet (ECC) taken during their meetings on December 24, 2020. The ministers also discussed the availability of gas in the country and the revelations of the EU DisinfoLab. The ministers suggested decisive action against the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working on foreign agendas. The ministers told the prime minister at the meeting that it was time for a decision, and strict action should be taken on the issue. They added that many NGOs in Pakistan operate without registration and receive foreign funding. Political situation Commenting the PDM’s anti-government campaign, Senator Shibli Faraz said that the opposition could not get resignations from a democratically elected government. “After the PPP [Pakistan Peoples Party] decision, it has become clear that the PDM had become a thing of the past.” Citing the decision of a group led by Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani to separate themselves from the JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Faraz said the PDM itself was facing divisions and so there was no chance of it succeeding to overthrow the government.   “Prime Minister Imran Khan has already stated in Chakwal that had no NRO [political amnesty] been granted to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari by the Musharraf regime [in 2007] the situation could have been different,” he said. The spirit of the Federation should be kept intact, especially after the enactment of the 18th Amendment, he remarked. He added that 2021 would the year of progress and economic stability. “The incumbent government would fulfil all its promises.” The minister criticised the Sindh government, saying that the PPP-led provincial dispensation, in order to score points for political ends, created an environment which gave the impression that there was a shortage of goods or an increase in prices. “The role of Sindh on the coronavirus pandemic is in front of everyone. The Sindh government did not want the federal government to succeed, but by the grace of God, the federal government succeeded in tackling the pandemic,” he said. “The Sindh government, in the first phase, adopted a strategy of complete lockdown without the advice of the federal government, which created problems in Sindh. It then stopped release of wheat to gain political advantage. There was a shortage of wheat and flour prices went up.” Replying to a question, Faraz said that it had been clearly written in the Constitution of Pakistan that “if the national institutions – judiciary and Pakistan army – are brought into controversy then it will be a violation of the Constitution”. “If we look at the countries, like Libya, Syria, Iraq, the enemy would destroy their armies to keep these countries backward. “Our enemies want the institutions to weaken and the country to fall apart. It is part of an organised conspiracy to dismantle the country’s institutions,” he warned. He said that Army soldiers were martyred in Balochistan but not a single word was uttered in the PDM meetings. Action will be taken against those who were spreading hatred, he said, adding that a decision in this regard would be in the next few days.

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