Parliamentary panel agrees to replace NAB with NAC

Parliamentary Committee on National Accountability Law on Thursday agreed to replace National Accountability Bureau (NAB) with National Accountability Commission (NAC) and to set up an independent Accountability Investigation Agency (AIA) under the same commission.
Federal Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid, who is also the chairman of the committee, while talking to reporters after the meeting of the parliamentary panel said that the meeting has decided that NAC would replace NAB.
Hamid said the committee also agreed to constitute a functionally and financially independent Accountability Investigation Agency, which will work under the NAC. The AIA will conduct investigation into cases of the NAC instead of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Hamid further said.
He said a consensus was also developed that district and sessions judges appointed by the chief justice of high court will hear the cases of the NAC. "Chief Justice High Court will designate a serving judge for trial of NAC cases," he said, adding that according to the present law, a retired judge hears corruption cases.
Hamid said all the members of the committee have given positive comments regarding draft of formulation of a National Accountability Commission (NAC), which had been prepared by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice during the previous government.
He said all the members of the committee are happy with the proposal that chairman NAC, deputy chairman and members will be appointed by the Prime Minister through consultation with opposition leader after confirmation by a parliamentary committee, having equal representation of opposition and treasury benches. The NAC will consist of chairman, deputy chairman, member accounts and member legal, he added.
However, he said the members of the committee did not agree to the proposal that the chairman of NAC should be from the judiciary only. The committee proposed to keep the qualification of the NAC chairman open, he said and added the committee will further discuss the issue of qualification of the chairman NAC in the next meeting.
He said the committee also agreed that the proceedings of wilful default cases will be held in banking courts under the same law, instead of accountability courts.
Hamid said the committee will review and decide about the definition of corruption and corrupt practices in the next meeting, which will be held on February 9.
The parliamentary committee comprises 13 members of the National Assembly and seven members from the Senate. According to the terms of reference, the committee will revisit the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 and recommend necessary amendments to it. The committee has been tasked to present its report within three months.
The meeting was attended by Farhatullah Babar, Muhammad Daud Khan Achakzai, Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, SA Iqbal Qadri, Naeema Kishwar Khan, Sahibzada Tariqullah, Chaudhry Mahmood Bashir Virk, Mohsin Shah Nawaz Ranjha and Lieutenant General Abdul Qadir Baloch (retd).