KARACHI: *PTI government faces a new setback over the NAB AmendmentOrdinance.*
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Amendment Ordinance 2019 has beenchallenged at the Supreme Court.
A citizen Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi has filed a petition at Karachi Registry ofthe apex court challenging the amended law.
President Dr Arif Alvi had signed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)Amendment Ordinance 2019 into law on Friday.
The petitioner has made the Government of Pakistan, Secretary Ministry ofLaw and Justice, secretaries of Cabinet Division, Ministry of Interior,Establishment Division, Chairman NAB, Director General Headquarters NAB andothers as party in the case.
The petitioner said, “All citizens are equal in the constitution ofPakistan, the amended ordinance is violation of the constitution and thefundamental rights of citizens”.
The federal cabinet’s approval to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)Ordinance 2019, is unprincipled and dubious, the petition said. “Theamended ordinance has pushed the NAB under the subordination of thescrutiny committee, petitioner said which will thoroughly affect theutility and importance of the accountability bureau”.
“It is being feared that the ordinance will affect the possibility of anequal accountability of all,” petition said.
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“It is cooked up to protect favorite people from accountability cases,”petition claimed.
According to the amended law, the NAB could not freeze the properties ofgovernment employees without court order.
If NAB fails to complete investigation against a suspect within threemonths, the accused will be entitled to bail, the law said.
The anti graft watchdog’s jurisdiction over matters relating to imports andlevy has been curtailed in the amended law.
As per the new ordinance, NAB will now only be able to proceed incorruption cases of Rs500 million and more.
