ISLAMABAD: Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique has said the present accountability laws need revisions and there is hope that political parties in the Parliament would evolve consensus on the issue.
In an interview with a private news channel, the minister said the PML-N had raised objections when this law was framed. Even PPP had disagreed with it but later on the lacunae in could not be removed through the Parliament.
“Now, after the surfacing of the Panama papers issue, there is a hope that political parties would agree to some new law to make the NAB institution more vibrant and effective,” he said and added, during the PPP tenure in 2008-13 an effort was made to review this law but the then PPP government was strict to accountability for a certain period.
Answering a question about Maryam Nawaz’s running the state affairs, he rejected the notion and said, PML-N believes in an ‘order of working’ and all functionaries are performing in order of their portfolio and seniority. “Maryam Nawaz holds no public office and all minister are working as per their status and seniority.”
He said previously there had been corruption in Pakistan Railways and the money allocated to the entity was not used properly. “During this tenure, we have improved its working and today 3500 luggage trains are operating annually as Railways revenue has surged to Rs 36 billion from Rs 18 billion in three years.”
