NAVEED BUTT

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said the nation would never pardon the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) if Pakistan loses its GSP Plus status because of “political victimisation” by the NAB.

“The opportunity of GSP Plus was created by the PPP government so that Pakistani goods could reach European markets. Pakistani economy is not in a situation to afford losing GSP plus status. The NAB chairman has been told by us earlier that his role is harming country’s economy. We have been saying that NAB and economy cannot go together. The chairman NAB would have to clarify NAB’s position about the report of European Union,” Bilawal expressed these views, while talking to media in the Parliament House after chairing a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights on Thursday.

The PPP chairman said that IGs, home secretaries and federal secretary interior had all been summoned to the next committee meeting with regard to the missing persons on the demand of committee members.

He said the fund for the Human Rights Ministry was not enough and with this meagre fund entire country could not be protected.

Regarding coronavirus, Bilawal said Sindh government had taken every measure it could but the airports were under federal government.

He said that borders were sealed but why the airports were not made safe and flights were not stopped from those infected countries.

Bilawal said that “we have to take precautionary measures to avoid this virus.” He said no provincial government could deal alone with any epidemic.

Bilawal said his comments about the PML-N were with regard to 1990s politics and he always raised his voice for the PML-N leaders that their own people did not.

He said NAB was targeting opposition and very strong words against it (NAB) had been used in European Union reports.

The PPP would continue to raise voice for everyone who was a target of political victimisation, he said.