The Supreme Court of Pakistan has reserved its verdict in the case concerning amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws, with detailed arguments focusing on the court’s jurisdiction to hear bail matters in corruption references.
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The hearing concluded after lawyers debated whether the Supreme Court could act as an appellate forum in cases involving bail applications under NAB laws. The petitioner’s counsel, Ibadur Rehman Lodhi, argued that appeals against final decisions of high courts could be filed before the Federal Constitutional Court, but bail matters rejected by high courts should remain within the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction.
The lawyer maintained that Section 32 of the NAB Ordinance does not apply to bail proceedings and requested the court not to surrender its constitutional authority. He argued that the law does not grant the Federal Constitutional Court powers to hear bail applications in NAB cases.
During the hearing, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar raised questions regarding the legal basis for the Supreme Court’s authority in bail matters. He observed that the key issue was whether a petition against the grant or rejection of bail could be treated as an appeal.
Justice Mazhar remarked that if the Supreme Court converted bail petitions into appeals, it would effectively become an appellate forum, while NAB laws had already specified the Federal Constitutional Court as the appellate authority.
The judge questioned how the Supreme Court could assume appellate powers in NAB bail cases when the law had already determined another forum for appeals.
The petitioner’s lawyer urged the court to preserve the Supreme Court’s powers, saying that constitutional authority should not be limited for administrative reasons.
After hearing arguments from all sides, a bench of the Supreme Court reserved its decision. The verdict is expected to clarify the legal scope of the Supreme Court’s role in NAB-related bail matters and the impact of recent amendments to accountability laws.
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The case has attracted significant attention as it involves questions about judicial powers, constitutional interpretation and the future mechanism for handling NAB-related appeals and bail petitions.