Parliamentary body briefed about National Accountability Ordinance, 1999

Federal Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid Tuesday briefed the parliamentary committee constituted to revisit and suggest amendments in National Accountability Ordinance 1999 about basic structure of National Accountability Commission (NAC), proposed during the previous government.
Zahid Hamid while talking to reporters after presiding over the parliamentary committee meeting said that he briefed the committee about the draft of NAC, which had been prepared by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice during the previous government. He said that according to the proposed draft, 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. He said that 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, he added.
The minister said that under the proposed law, chairman and deputy chairman will be appointed for a period of three years, and there will be no extension in their tenures. Under the proposed law, chairman and deputy chairman can only be removed through the Supreme Judicial Council.
Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani has proposed formation of Federal Accountability Commission (FAC) and suggested not to interfere with the present NAB, he said, adding that FAC will make all decisions. He said the meeting decided that all members of the committee will study the proposed draft of NAC and will give their viewpoint in the next meeting, which will be held on February 2. In the next meeting, he will further explain the law and brief the committee about offences, he added.
Hamid said it was also proposed in the meeting that civil servant will also submit asset statement.
The minister said that officials of Ministry of Law and Justice briefed the committee about evolution of corruption laws in Pakistan and amendments in them. The officials briefed the committee about Prevention of Corruption Act 1946, PRODA law, Accountability Act 1997, Accountability Ordinance 1997, Anti-Corruption Law of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.
The officials of Ministry of Law also briefed the committee about the accountability laws of Malaysia, India and Bangladesh. The committee will be briefed about the salient features of accountability laws of China and South Korea, he said.
The parliamentary committee comprises 13 members of 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 Lieutenant General Abdul Qadir Baloch (Retd), Anusha Rehman, 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 includes 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.