References returned by ACs: Amendments proposed to Sections IV & V of NAB law: minister

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to strengthen the top anti-graft body, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar Friday said the government had proposed amendments to Section-IV and V of the NAB law with regard to the references returned by the accountability courts.

Speaking at a presser here, he said that an ordinance would be issued until the parliament session is convened, as there is a need to expedite the accountability process in the country.

He said the accountability courts had been given powers to transfer the references to the relevant forums if these did not fall in their jurisdictions.

“The recent amendments to NAB law are aimed at empowering NAB court to transfer cases to relevant legal forums or investigation for further proceedings for their logical conclusion,” he added.

Tarar said that there had been rumors about the future of the references returned by the accountability courts recently, adding “the references were not quashed in fact rather their forums had been changed only.”

He said that the NAB chairman would be authorised to send the inquiries to the relevant institutions. However, the investigations on various matters could be closed only if the court would be satisfied.

He said the deputy chairman would use all the powers of the chairman NAB in his absence, adding that the NAB had been accused of political engineering and the apex court had also observed the same in the Saad Rafiq case.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023