AIRLINK 62.48 Increased By ▲ 2.05 (3.39%)
BOP 5.36 Increased By ▲ 0.01 (0.19%)
CNERGY 4.58 Decreased By ▼ -0.02 (-0.43%)
DFML 15.50 Increased By ▲ 0.66 (4.45%)
DGKC 66.40 Increased By ▲ 1.60 (2.47%)
FCCL 17.59 Increased By ▲ 0.73 (4.33%)
FFBL 27.70 Increased By ▲ 2.95 (11.92%)
FFL 9.27 Increased By ▲ 0.21 (2.32%)
GGL 10.06 Increased By ▲ 0.10 (1%)
HBL 105.70 Increased By ▲ 1.49 (1.43%)
HUBC 122.30 Increased By ▲ 4.78 (4.07%)
HUMNL 6.60 Increased By ▲ 0.06 (0.92%)
KEL 4.50 Decreased By ▼ -0.05 (-1.1%)
KOSM 4.48 Decreased By ▼ -0.09 (-1.97%)
MLCF 36.20 Increased By ▲ 0.79 (2.23%)
OGDC 122.92 Increased By ▲ 0.53 (0.43%)
PAEL 23.00 Increased By ▲ 1.09 (4.97%)
PIAA 29.34 Increased By ▲ 2.05 (7.51%)
PIBTL 5.80 Decreased By ▼ -0.14 (-2.36%)
PPL 107.50 Increased By ▲ 0.13 (0.12%)
PRL 27.25 Increased By ▲ 0.74 (2.79%)
PTC 18.07 Increased By ▲ 1.97 (12.24%)
SEARL 53.00 Decreased By ▼ -0.63 (-1.17%)
SNGP 63.21 Increased By ▲ 2.01 (3.28%)
SSGC 10.80 Increased By ▲ 0.05 (0.47%)
TELE 9.20 Increased By ▲ 0.71 (8.36%)
TPLP 11.44 Increased By ▲ 0.86 (8.13%)
TRG 70.86 Increased By ▲ 0.95 (1.36%)
UNITY 23.62 Increased By ▲ 0.11 (0.47%)
WTL 1.28 No Change ▼ 0.00 (0%)
BR100 6,944 Increased By 65.8 (0.96%)
BR30 22,827 Increased By 258.6 (1.15%)
KSE100 67,142 Increased By 594.3 (0.89%)
KSE30 22,090 Increased By 175.1 (0.8%)

Created by late General Pervez Musharraf and currently headed by a retired general, Pakistan’s powerful anti-graft agency that arrested former prime minister Imran Khan in a land fraud case has a mandate to end corruption in the country.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has investigated, tried and jailed at various times all prime ministers since 2008 including current premier Shehbaz Sharif, former president Asif Ali Zardari, and other top political figures.

On Thursday, Pakistan’s Supreme Court said that the NAB’s arrest of Khan for graft was illegal. Below are some facts about the NAB and its working.

Launch

The NAB began operations in 1999 under a chairman who was a former army general.

It is headquartered in Islamabad, with regional offices in all major Pakistani cities.

Working

It is an autonomous body but analysts and politicians say that it has often been used to crack down on the opposition in the South Asian nation.

The agency denies any misuse of its powers. It has its own investigators, unbridled powers of arrest as well as prison cells to hold suspects.

IK remanded in NAB custody for eight days

The NAB has prosecutors and judges and runs its own courts, separate from the main judicial system.

Prime Minister Sharif was arrested by the agency and detained for several months in 2020 when he was an opposition leader in Khan’s parliament.

It investigates only public office holders and government officials as per law but there have been complaints by businessmen that they have also been investigated and tried.

Investigations and subsequent trials can take months, at times years, and suspects can be locked up during that period.

Mandate

The NAB’s mandate is to eliminate corruption through enforcement, prosecution, awareness and prevention, according to the law ministry, and establish a legal framework for the drive against corruption.

Controversial

The agency has been controversial since its inception, mainly due to its unbridled powers, and the stigma attached to anyone investigated even if they were cleared later.

While there is broad consensus that the country should be purged of corruption, analysts say the agency hasn’t had much success in that mission.

Toshakhana case: IHC declares NAB call-up notices to IK, wife illegal

On the flip side, fear of an investigation by the NAB is so high that government officials have often dragged their feet in clearing projects.

Prosecutions, cases

According to NAB data, the agency has conducted 4,747 investigations until March this year, of which 3,538 were filed in court. The cases resulted in 1,190 convictions and 771 acquittals while others were in progress or dormant.

One hundred cases were withdrawn. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the brother of the current prime minister, and his daughter Maryam Nawaz were convicted of corruption by the NAB court in 2018. Maryam Nawaz’s conviction was later overturned by a higher court.

Amendments

In March, politicians from across the spectrum barring Khan’s party joined hands to amend the law to limit the agency’s powers, such as holding a suspect for up to 90 days without recourse to bail.

The maximum period is now 14 days.

NAB again summons Usman Buzdar

The agency must also complete a case within a year.

Khan’s party had opposed the move, saying Sharif’s coalition government was trying to make the agency a toothless body.

Comments

Comments are closed.

TimeToMovveOn May 12, 2023 05:53pm
Pakistan has become a snake that is eating its own tail.
thumb_up Recommended (0)
Parvez May 12, 2023 06:06pm
NAB has from day one been contraversial.....
thumb_up Recommended (0)