PTI has offered to discuss changes in NAB laws: Mandviwala.

ISLAMABAD -- The government has convened separate sessions of the National Assembly and Senate on Friday (today) on a notice of less than 24 hours to take up routine government business, including a debate on the presidential address to the joint sitting of parliament in September last year, amid reports that an indirect contact had been established between the government and the opposition on the issue of changes in the country's accountability laws.

The National Assembly will go into session after a gap of 10 weeks as its previous sitting was held on October 29 last year, whereas the Senate had concluded its last session on January 18 that had been requisitioned by the opposition parties to discuss the role and performance of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amid allegations of human rights violations and media trial of the opposition members.

The move to requisition the session has been initiated by Deputy Senate Chairman Saleem Mandviwala of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) who had lashed out at NAB through news conferences and threatened to raise the issue of the alleged human rights violations by the bureau at international forums, including the European Union and the United Nations.

Sources said a treasury member holding a top parliamentary office had approached Mr Mandviwala at the conclusion of the Senate session and informed him that the ruling PTI was willing to discuss the proposed changes in the NAB laws in order to curtail some of the powers of the accountability watchdog, particularly those related to the business community and ordinary people.

When contacted, Mr Mandviwala confirmed that he had been approached by the treasury side over the issue and said 'an offer has come (from the government) that we want to do it'.

Separate sessions of National Assembly, Senate convened

He said this was the 'ultimate solution' and there was no doubt about it. He said that he was not fighting for politicians, bureaucrats or government office-holders, but for an ordinary person.

Mr Mandviwala said there was pressure on the government as businessmen and traders from all over the country had been crying over NAB excesses. He said that neither the government was working properly nor was the private sector able to deliver due to NAB's actions.

He said the government was even willing to bring changes in the NAB laws as it had introduced the NAB Amendment Ordinance last year which later lapsed.

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