PESHAWAR: A Peshawar High Court (PHC) bench on Wednesday grilled the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for “being selective in its approach to the elimination of corruption”, as it took up a case pertaining to flour and fuel shortage.
“NAB chairman takes notices of various issues but is silent on the recent flour and petrol crisis. NAB takes interest in cases, which suit it. It has never taken notice of corruption in public interest,” noted a PHC division bench comprising Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Justice Ahmed Ali.
The bench had taken up a number of plea pertaining to the prevalent flour and petrol crisis in the province.
The two-judge bench summoned NAB director general for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), tomorrow in order to inform the court why no action has been taken so far against the elements causing the current petrol shortage in the country.
The PHC has also summoned the federal minister for petroleum, federal secretary petroleum and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) chairman to explain their position and steps taken so far to resolve the petrol crisis.
“People are not getting petrol and flour but nobody cares. It is a pity that ministers only attend meetings and do not do anything practical to provide relief to the public,” justice Qaisar remarked.
“The government only forms such committees when it wants to suppress and issue,” the judge further remarked, responding to the response of the OGRA representative that the government had already established a committee to investigate the petrol shortage.
“Something should also be done in the interest of the people, but the NAB is silent on these issues,” he said.
The provincial secretary food for KP representing the government’s position on flour shortage explained to the court that flour is available in the provincial markets, however, at a higher rate. The secretary further assured the court that the price of flour will come down to its normal level in a few weeks.
The KP advocate general also informed the bench that flour prices in the province would stabilise by June 15 as the Punjab government has recently lifted the ban on inter-provincial transportation of wheat and flour.
The advocate general further said that the KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan had taken up the issue with Prime Minister Imran Khan.
However, the bench was not satisfied with the response and sought a detailed report on the flour crisis from the secretary food at the next hearing of the case.
Excellent description even informative.
It is postive attitudes of NAB to take investigation on sugar and oil matters. However, it will execute beyond influence of any party who have to immersion wth political executive.