The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Amendment Ordinance, 2019, was challenged in the Supreme Court on Saturday. A citizen, Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi, has filed a petition at Karachi Registry of the apex court, challenging the amended law.
President Dr Arif Alvi had signed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Amendment Ordinance, 2019, into law on Friday. The petitioner has made the Government of Pakistan, Secretary Ministry of Law and Justice, secretaries of Cabinet Division, Ministry of Interior, Establishment Division, Chairman NAB, Director General NAB Headquarters and others party in the case.
“All citizens are equal in the constitution of Pakistan and the amended ordinance is a violation of the constitution and the fundamental rights of the citizens,” the petition said. “The federal cabinet’s approval to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance, 2019, is unprincipled and dubious,” it said. “The amended ordinance has pushed the NAB under the subordination of the scrutiny committee, which will thoroughly affect the utility and importance of the accountability bureau. It is feared that the ordinance will affect the possibility of an equal accountability of all,” the petition read. “It has been cooked up to protect favourite people from the accountability process,” it claimed.
According to the amended law, the NAB cannot freeze the properties of government employees without a court order. If NAB fails to complete an investigation against a suspect within three months, the accused will be entitled to bail, the amended law said.