The Supreme Court of Pakistan, in a significant development, has reserved its verdict on Tuesday regarding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s plea challenging amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws. The case has garnered nationwide attention, as it addresses crucial alterations made to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999, by the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, with Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ijazul Ahsan as members, heard the petition. During the hearing, CJP Bandial hinted at delivering a “short and sweet” verdict on the matter in the near future.
The proceedings commenced with Khawaja Haris, the legal counsel representing PTI, presenting his final arguments before the bench. In a noteworthy observation, CJP Bandial raised concerns about the reasons provided by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for the references returned by the agency following amendments in the law, extending until May.
CJP Bandial commented, “The reasons for the withdrawal of the reference suggest that the law is biased,” emphasizing that individuals whose references were returned have now been documented. He further noted that amendments to section 23 of the NAB law were made in May and June, with references returned before May still pending with NAB. The Chief Justice inquired, “Who will answer these questions on behalf of NAB?”
In response, counsel Haris pointed out that several pending cases had been returned after the amendments, shedding light on the complexity of the situation.
The nation now awaits the Supreme Court’s final verdict on this crucial legal matter, which has far-reaching implications for the accountability and transparency of the nation’s governance institutions.
