Consensus over proposed accountability bill evolved

The Parliamentary Committee on National Accountability Law Wednesday reached a consensus that the proposed Accountability Investigation Agency (AIA) will complete investigation of corruption cases within 60 days and then refer them to National Accountability Commission (NAC) proposed in the bill for final decision.
Federal Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid, while talking to the reporters after presiding over the meeting, said the committee had reviewed the 24 sections of the proposed accountability bill, proposed during the previous government, and had developed consensus over them.
He said the meeting decided that the proposed AIA would complete probe of corruption within 60 days and then the NAC would make final decision on the basis of available or concrete evidence. "Under the proposed law, the chairman of NAC will have the authority to order reinvestigation or closing investigation of a case," he said, adding the accused would be provided all facilities under the proposed law for his/her defence.
The minister said the next meeting of the committee would be held on April 12.
The committee during the previous meeting reached a consensus that any person or office-holder who is convicted of corrupt practices would be banned from holding any public or government office for lifetime.
The committee also reached a consensus that minimum punishment for any person convicted of corrupt practices would be seven years and maximum punishment would be 14 years. According to the proposed draft, chairman NAC, deputy chairman and members will be appointed by the prime minister through consultation with the 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. Under the proposed law, a functionally and financially independent Accountability Investigation Agency (AIA) will be established, which will work under the NAC. 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 in it.
The committee has been tasked to present its report within three months. The members of the committee include MNAs Lieutenant General Abdul Qadir Baloch (retd), Anusha Rahman, Usman Ibrahim, Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, Chaudhry Mahmood Bashir Virk, Mohsin Shah Nawaz Ranjha, Syed Naveed Qamar, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, SA Iqbal Qadri, Naeema Kishwar Khan, Sahibzada Tariqullah and Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao. The committee also included Senators Farhatullah Babar, Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, Saud Majeed, Javed Abbasi, Azam Khan Swati, Barrister Ali Khan Saif and Daud Khan Achakzai as its members.