NAB can’t sue armed forces personnel
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) could not file a case against members of Pakistan Armed Forces because of the immunity granted to them under the Constitution and the Supreme Court judgment, confirmed Prosecutor-General Accountability Raja Muhammad Bashir here on Tuesday.
The controversy of moving against members of the armed forces began when disgraced former naval chief Mansurul Haq attributed a statement to the chief executive that “serving military officers would also be taken to task”. “The Army law is self-contained and the accountability of Army officers and other ranks are held within the parameters of that law,” said Raja Bashir.
The NAB law, he said, will not be invoked in any way against the members of the armed forces, though under the same law the former members of the armed forces can be proceeded against. Answering a question, Raja Bashir said that evidence could be brought against any person, but the NAB could not file a case against the armed forces officers.
When Mansurul Haq was arrested, recently, in another case of fraudulent purchase of “junk ships” for Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC), he started making statements of different kinds, which created doubts on the plea-bargain in the submarines purchase case. Mansoor repaid $7.5 million after being extradited from the United States. However, in the second case, he was arrested and a reference was filed in the Karachi Accountability Court.
Through the purchase of three substandard ships from private owners, Mansoor along with two fugitives - Rear Admiral (retd) Javaid Ali and acting chairman and Commodore (retd) Mirza Ashfaq Beg as Director, Ship Management, PNSC, purchased three ships on much higher prices. Apolonia (renamed as Sawat) was purchased for $14.8 million, Ora Bhum (renamed as Shalamar $15.5 million and Independent Voyager (renamed as Lalazar) at $16.7 million. “All this amounts of $47.14 was wasted and it multiplied the loss to the national exchequer, as the deal was done in 1994,” said Raja Bashir. To a question, he said that Benazir Bhutto, who was prime minister at that time, was not included in this reference. He, however, said that probe could be conducted in other defence deals, as the Public Accounts Committee had indicated Rs 20 billion shabby deals in that sector. http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/index.html