Daily Times

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday sought the record of all high profile references from National Accountability Bureau (NAB) during the time of 1999 to 2022. The top court directed the bureau to submit details including cases in which the SC maintained the sentences, number of concluded references and returning of cases after the amendments in the NAB law. A three member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial heard the case of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) against the amendments in NAB ordinance. During the course of proceeding, the CJP remarked that it was the responsibility of the state to protect the public assets. The country was badly suffering due to huge foreign loans and then its misuse, he added. The chief justice observed that most of the unnecessary expenditures were spent on mere luxury of the elite class while more than the 70% population of the country was living below the poverty line.

He further remarked that there were several mafias in the country that spread unrest and anarchy because there were no appropriate regulators in our society. The court observed that the tax was collected on property and wealth internationally but the wealth tax in Pakistan was quashed in 2001. Now there was no control on making assets and property in the country, he said. Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial said that it was not the job of this court to view the economic policies. If someone had committed a crime then there was a complete method of fair trial in the law, he said. He further asked that whether the law could be terminated with just an executive action.

Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan said that the duty of the top court was to interpret the law instead of designing it. He said the FATF had pointed out weaknesses in the law, adding that we had to adopt international standards in introducing various laws. Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan observed that whether the amendments were introduced to benefit a certain group. The 280 corruption cases worth billions of rupees had already been returned, he said.

PTI’s Lawyer Khawaja Haris argued that now it was very difficult to interpret ‘benamdar’ after the amendments. The matters related to the public money fell under the basic human rights, he said. He further said that this matter was related to the involvement of political leaders in corruption cases. The amendments were benefiting the accused in pending references, he added.

Further hearing of the case was then adjourned till tomorrow.