Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday observed that it was in favour of the accountability of the judges and the generals and a law should be made to bring them in the ambit of the accountability.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Qazi Faez Isa observed this while hearing a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) appeal against the acquittal of three accused.

During the hearing, Justice Kahn observed, “We are in favour of the trial of judges and the generals under the accountability law … and this trial should be conducted like the trial of an ordinary man.”

Justice Khan inquired from the NAB prosecutor about progress on the new accountability law. The prosecutor stated that the new accountability law was still a bill and could not become a law.

Justice Khan noted that Senate chairman as well as some other senators had raised objections on the exclusion of the names of judges and generals from the new draft of the accountability law. “The good thing is that there should be across the board accountability including the accountability of the judges and the generals,” Justice Khan observed. “NAB should not create such a situation which leads to people’s curse and displeasure over it,” Justice Khan told the prosecutor, adding that NAB should not do such things that may force the people to pray for its abolition and ask the public legislators to close it.

He said it was his opinion that there should also be trial of judges and the generals under the accountability law just like the common man. “Why the judges and the generals, who are not above the law and the constitution, should not be brought in the ambit of accountability law,” Justice Khan asked. However, he added, the trial should be held in a transparent manner. He said the new accountability law should be made after consulting and involving all the stakeholders.

Published in Daily Times, December 29^th 2017.