Government Ignored SC Recommendations While Changing NAB Law
The government ignored the Supreme Court’s (SC) proposal for amendments in the National Accountability Ordinance of 1999.
On Friday, President Arif Alvi signed the new NAB ordinance of 2019 that offers civil servants protection from NAB. This new act also makes it necessary for the chairman of the body to give reports to the government, something that wasn’t previously done.
The law comes at a time when people believe that NAB is getting out of control. Some even think that it, along with the FBR, is why investment in Pakistan is so low.
The SC though, in 2018, had sent in proposed amendments to the NAO of 1999 where they said that person should be allowed to apply for bail before they are presented to the accountability court and the court also put in a time frame for the functioning of such cases.
According to lawyers, the NAO of 1999 was flawed law because it took away people’s right to bail. It was introduced under General (Ret) Pervez Musharraf and it grants too much power to the chairman of NAB.
The recent amendments to the law can be seen as a U-Turn by the PTI government which came in with a mandate of greater accountability in the country.
Naya Daur Media (NDM) is a bi-lingual progressive digital media platform aiming to inform and educate Pakistanis at home and abroad. Subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow us on Facebook Twitter and Instagram
NAB NEEDS REFORMS NOT MADE THE ORPHANS.
ALL EFFORTS GO FOR CUBING THE NAB AND MAKE IT JUST LIKE A CLERICAL INSTITUTIONS WHERE EACH WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT OR THE WAY TO GAME AND GET FREED OF ANY CHARGES AS THE SAME HAS HAPPENED JUST A FEW MONTHS BACK WHEN A WANTED AND A CONVICT AND UNDER ARREST WAS FACILITATED TO GET THE BAIL AND EVEN MOVE ABROAD.
SO EACH DRAMA AGAINST THE NAB BE SEEN AND VIEWED WITH THE ULTIMATE BENEFICIARY HAVING CLOSED LOVED AFFAIRS WITH SOME INSTITUTIONS.
THE NAB NEEDS MUCH MORE REFORMS BUT NOT TO CUT ITS WINGS.IT BE MADE RIGOROUSLY ACCOUNTABLE BUT NOT MADE THE ORPHAN AND QUITE HELPLESS SOME CIRCLES NEED IT.