PTI senators, along with other opposition members, stage a walkout after the National Accountability Act 1999 (NAB) amendment bill passes from the upper house on Thursday.
According to details, the NAB amendment bill was passed from the upper house
on August 4. The bill, passed from the National Assembly yesterday, was
tabled in the Senate by Law Minister of State Shahadat Ali.
PTI senator Shibli Faraz said that the government should just empty jails,
as passing this bill is similar. Why cannot NAB investigate cases under
Rs500 million? the PTI leader questioned. The government has disarmed NAB,
the National Assembly has become a rubber stamp, Shibli added.
Three amendments suggested by Jamat-e-Islami’s Mushtaq Ahmed were rejected
by the house. The opposition tore copies of the bill and staged a walkout
from the house.
The NA passed the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Act, 2022 with
a majority vote, amending theNational Accountability Ordinance, 1999 (NAO).
According to the bill, the offence of corruption and corrupt practices as
per the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999, will be tied to the
value of Rs500m.
The bill also strips the president of his authority to appoint judges of
accountability courts in consultation with high court chief justices.
“A judge shall be appointed by the federal government after consultation
with the chief justice of the high court concerned,” the bill stated. As per
the bill, the service tenure of Prosecutor General NAB can be extended by 3
years.
