ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Saturday started formal consultations to take the opposition parties into confidence over drafting a new ordinance, with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Amendment Ordinance, 2019 being set to expire on Sunday.
According to an informed source, the first meeting of a committee tasked to draft a new ordinance met at the residence of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar, wherein a decision was made to take the opposition on board.
Furthermore, the law ministry has started working on the new ordinance, whereas Prime Minister Imran Khan has already formed a committee to complete the task.
The committee included Law Minister Farogh Naseem, Minister of Planning Asad Umar, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Adviser to PM for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Shehzad Akbar.
Qaisar confirmed that the first meeting of the consultative committee, saying the consultations did not reach a conclusion.
“We have not reached a conclusion yet. We have decided to take the opposition and other stakeholders on board. An amended ordinance would be promulgated after consultation with stakeholders,” Asad Qaisar said.
The National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) will become extinct on Sunday as the amendments to the law made through a presidential ordinance have not been approved by parliament. A major challenge faced by the government because of the coronavirus pandemic is the parliamentary approval as both houses of parliament are in recess to ensure social distancing.
The National Accountability (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2019, was promulgated in December-end having the usual 120-day constitutional life.
