Daily Times

The National Accountability Amendment Ordinance 2024 has come under legal scrutiny, with a petition challenging its validity filed in the Islamabad High Court.

Citizen Malik Najiullah, represented by lawyer Azhar Siddique, has challenged the ordinance, naming the Secretary of the Cabinet, the President, the Chairman of the Senate, and the Speaker of the National Assembly as respondents. The petition argues that the ordinance unlawfully extends the remand period from 14 to 40 days and reduces the punishment for filing malicious cases from five years to two years.

Najiullah contends that these changes infringe on basic human rights and undermine democratic principles. He asserts that the ordinance, which was issued without parliamentary approval, imposes the opinion of a single individual on the entire nation. He also criticized the ordinance for failing to address the issue of officers making false cases, arguing that a two-year penalty is insufficient.

The petitioner highlighted that the Chief Justice of Pakistan had previously questioned the democratic legitimacy of such ordinances and noted that they should not bypass parliamentary scrutiny. Najiullah has requested the court to declare the National Accountability Ordinance 2024 unconstitutional and void, and to invalidate any measures taken under it as politically motivated. He also seeks an order for the relevant parties to provide information under the right of access to information. This legal challenge follows the issuance of two ordinances on May 27, approved by Acting President and Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani.