ISLAMABAD
\n The result of the strict order given by the court came out as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials became active and decided to provide records to it within the next couple of days.
\nThe NAB authorities held an urgent meeting regarding the implementation of the Supreme Court\u2019s decision in the NAB amendments case on Wednesday. In the meeting, it was decided that the records of all the important cases would be compiled within the next two to three days and would also be provided to the accountability court.
\nFive days ago, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has struck down the amendments made to the National Accountability Law with a majority 2-1 verdict, restoring corruption cases against public office-holders.
\nThe court announced the reserved verdict on a petition challenging the NAB amendments on Friday noon. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah disagreed with the verdict. The court judgment declared some amendments to the NAB law null and void, terming them contrary to the Constitution.
\nThese included one which limited the National Accountability Bureau\u2019s (NAB) jurisdiction to cases involving over Rs500 million and one which allowed the accused to claim the amount of plea bargain deposited after being acquitted.
\nThe court also declared nullified the verdicts issued by the accountability courts in light of the amendments made to the laws. The court ordered NAB to send the record to the relevant courts within seven days.
\nThe verdict declared the petition against the NAB amendments admissible. The Supreme Court also invalidated the NAB amendment to define benami, assets in excess of income and transfer the burden of proof to the prosecution.
\nAfter the amendments to the Accountability Law, the accountability courts have returned more than 100 cases. With the SC verdict, former president Asif Ali Zardari\u2019s fake account cases will be transferred back to the Accountability Court and former Prime Minister Khaqan Abbasi\u2019s LNG case may be transferred from the Special Judge Central to the Accountability Court.
\nThe Toshakhana case of Nawaz Sharif, Asif Zardari and Yousuf Raza Gilani will be transferred back to the accountability court while the NAB reference against Murad Ali Shah will also be transferred back to the accountability court. The Kidney Hills corruption case against Salim Mandviwala and the assets beyond income reference against Ishaq Dar will be transferred back to the accountability court.
\nRental power cases against former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf will also be revived. A corruption reference against Senator Rubina Khalid in the Lok Virsa funds will also be restored.
\nThe accountability courts did not absolve the accused but sent their references back to the NAB, directing it to resort to the concerned forum. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah announced the decision which was reserved by the court on Sept 5.
\nJustice Mansoor Ali Shah, however, penned a dissenting note. Government lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan submitted the answer to the question asked by the Chief Justice of Pakistan in the NAB amendments case on September 9. The written response consisted of five pages. The Chief Justice of Pakistan sent the question through the judicial assistant.
\nJustice Mansoor Ali Shah had proposed to constitute a full court in the case against NAB amendments, citing the matter of the frozen Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) law.
\nHowever, CJP Bandial had opposed it, noting that his retirement was near and the matter had already been pending before the court for a considerable time. While reserving the verdict on the NAB amendment case on Sept 5, Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Umar Ata Bandial pledged \u201ca sweet and brief ruling soon.
\nDuring the hearing, the top said: \u201cWhether it is the use of state assets for corruption, smuggling or the illegal transfer of money \u2014 action should be taken. The lack of clarity in the law on these crimes is upsetting\u201d.
\n\u201cMaking the public prosper and secure is the state\u2019s responsibility,\u201d he observed. Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) filed a petition against the NAB amendments in June 2022 and the Supreme Court held 53 hearings on the petition.
\nThe amendments made several changes to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999, including reducing the term of the NAB chairman and prosecutor general to three years, limiting NAB\u2019s jurisdiction to cases involving over Rs500 million, and transferring all pending inquiries, investigations, and trials to the relevant authorities.
\nIn his petition, the PTI chief had claimed that the amendments to the NAB law had been made to benefit influential accused persons and legitimise corruption. It should be noted that today is the last day of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on the bench before his retirement on September 16. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD The result of the strict order given by the court came out as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials became active and decided to provide records to it within the next couple of days. The NAB authorities held an urgent meeting regarding the implementation of the Supreme Court\u2019s decision in the NAB amendments case […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-357226","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n