Beat back Opp on NAB Ordinance, Imran tells PTI.

Byline: Imran Mukhtar

ISLAMABAD -- Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday rejecting the criticism of opposition over government's move to amend the accountability law said that ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf would not withdraw from its anti-corruption slogan and the accountability process would continue at any cost.

PM made these remarks while chairing a meeting of the ruling party's Media Strategy Committee that was especially called to review the government narrative and public feedback on its decision to make amendments in the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999.

'Anyone who has committed corruption, he would have to face the consequences,' the PM was quoted as saying by official PTI sources. The government would make no compromise on corruption, he added.

PM also advised the participants that the ruling party should adopt an effective strategy to sensitise the public about amendments made in the accountability law and to inform them that the decision would not benefit the government as claimed by the opposition.

The premier in the meeting decided that the government would make public its performance for the year 2019, including economic and diplomatic achievements, in the next year starting from Wednesday. PM also said that 2020, for PTI government, would be the year of reforms aimed at betterment of the common people.

The chair also instructed the participants that public should be sensitized about government's shelter homes programme that has been started for the homeless people and the Ehsas Programme - PM's ambitious social safety and poverty alleviation initiative.

The official party sources informed that some of the participants including ministers showed their reservations over the government's response and stance after it promulgated the presidential ordinance to amend the accountability law. The participants observed that the opposition gave a wrong impression that amendments were perhaps a move to benefit 'government's cronies.' They added that the consultations should have been held over government's stance before legislation.

The PTI government on December 27 promulgated the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 that, according to many analysts, would benefit not only the politicians but also the bureaucrats and the business community. The decision invited criticism from opposition PML-N and PPP who called the move 'mothers of all NROs' - a reference to a deal to void corruption cases.

Those who...