Following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the anti-graft law modifications, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) decided in principle to revive corruption charges against political figures.
On September 15, a three-member panel of the Supreme Court, in a majority 2-1 decision, allowed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s appeal contesting revisions made to the country’s accountability legislation during the previous PDM-led government’s mandate.
The then-CJP Umar Ata Bandial-led bench ordered the restoration of all graft cases worth less than Rs500 million that had been closed against political leaders and public office holders and deemed the amendments unlawful.
Read More: https://economy.pk/2000-cases-likely-to-be-reopened-following-sc-verdict-in-nab-amendments-case/
In response to the Supreme Court’s decision, the anti-corruption monitor sent a letter to the registrar of an accountability court in the federal capital.
Last week, NAB Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed Butt called a consultative meeting to determine the next steps.
The NAB is expected to submit the record of all cases to the court in the next two days in order to resume hearings. Former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif, Yousuf Raza Gillani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Shehbaz Sharif, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former president Asif Ali Zardari, former chief ministers of Sindh and Punjab, and hundreds of former federal and provincial ministers will have their cases reopened.
According to sources, the NAB was still conducting legal examinations on cases that had previously been closed, as well as compiling data on cases that were in the stages of complaint verification, inquiries, and investigations.
According to sources, NAB regional offices in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Sukkur, Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta are accumulating entire data of cases that will be submitted to accountability courts. “NAB will fulfill its obligation once the legal consultation in light of the Supreme Court decision in the NAB amendments case is completed.”
According to sources, the cases of false accounts against Zardari and rental power plants against Ashraf have also been reopened. They also stated that the Toshakhana vehicle cases against Zardari, Nawaz, and Gillani would be reopened.
Former chief minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah, former finance minister Miftah Ismail, and former finance minister Senator Ishaq Dar would also face charges for amassing assets beyond recognised sources of income.
NAB amendments
The NAB changes not only decreased the NAB chairman’s and prosecutor general’s four-year terms to three years but also removed all regulatory agencies in the country from the NAB’s jurisdiction.
Furthermore, the judges of the accountability courts were given a three-year term, and the courts were required to rule on a matter within one year.
Imran Khan challenged the reforms and petitioned the Supreme Court to have them overturned on the grounds that they were unconstitutional.
The petition contended that revisions to sections 2, 4, 5, 6, 25, and 26 of the NAB statute, as well as amendments to sections 14, 15, 21, and 23, violate the Constitution.
Furthermore, the PTI chief said that revisions to the NAB statute are in violation of Articles 9, 14, 19, 24, and 25.
The PTI Chairman had sought that all revisions to the NAB statute be declared null and invalid.
On July 15, 2022, a special three-member bench was created to consider Khan’s petition. The lawsuit against the NAB revisions was heard for the first time on July 19, last year, after Khan’s lawyer Khawaja Haris filed an application 184/3 against the NAB amendments.
The petition included the federation and the NAB as parties.
