Justice Mansoor Ali Shah of the Supreme Court has delivered a starkwarning, emphasizing that the impending Parliament must take action toannul the recent NAB amendments; otherwise, it could lead to a completebreakdown of the entire system. This revelation was brought to lightthrough a report. Justice Shah made these assertions during a pivotalhearing linked to a petition initiated by PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who ischallenging the NAB amendments.
A specialized three-judge panel at the apex court, presided over by ChiefJustice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial and featuring Justice IjazulAhsan and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, meticulously examined the case on thespecified date. Within this judicial context, PTI Chairman’s legalrepresentative, Khawaja Haris, eloquently presented his arguments.
Within the course of this hearing, the chief justice engaged with Mr.Haris, pondering the possibility of seeking input from federal governmentlawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan. He pointed out a significant consequence of theNAB amendments: evidence acquired through international legal cooperationno longer holds its prior acceptability.
The chief justice went on to underscore another critical alteration, notingthat the status of evidence obtained under the Mutual Legal Assistance(MLA) framework had been revoked. He drew attention to the ensuing need forNAB to engage independent services, a move that would inevitably inflatecosts.
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The MLA, a formal process through which countries seek and provideassistance for obtaining evidence across borders in criminalinvestigations, was revealed as being adversely impacted by theseamendments. The chief justice further inquired of the lawyer regardinginformation presented in court, specifically a report concerning propertydetails sourced from abroad.
In summary, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah’s emphatic plea for the new Parliamentto address the NAB amendments is significant. The hearing, overseen by adistinguished bench of judges, raised crucial concerns about theacceptability of evidence in the wake of these amendments, highlightingpotential implications for international legal cooperation andinvestigative costs
