ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court on Tuesday criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) “walk over” to the incumbent government in the parliament.
Hearing a petition filed by the former ruling party regarding amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law, the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial inquired into PTI’s restraint from parliamentary debate on recent amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999.
The CJP implored the PTI Vice President Shah Mahmood Qureshi, as Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah heard former prime minister and party Chairman Imran Khan’s petition against the amendments to the NAO. Advocate Khawaja Haris appeared on behalf of the ousted premier.
The Court also sought a response from the government over a petition moved by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) seeking to declare recent amendments to laws governing National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as unconstitutional.
A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, while conducted the hearing on the petition, recalled that Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the new amendments are as per the rulings of the apex court.
However, the counsel for PTI rejected the notion and said the changes were made in a hurry and are against the ruling of the court.
At this, the judge remarked his court can nullify laws that are enacted to benefit certain individuals but stressed that hurdles should not be created in the functioning of the government as civil servants are hesitant to make decisions out of fear of NAB.
The court said anyone who commits corruption should be severally dealt with but an administrative decision taken by him should not also be set aside.
SC adjourned the hearing till July 29 and sought a reply from the government on the petition.
The government passed the National Accountability (Amendment) Bill, 2022, in the National Assembly and the Senate in May. President Arif Alvi rejected the bill and urged further consideration, prompting the government to pass it anew in a joint sitting of Parliament.
The president returned this bill unsigned, saying his “conscience” did not permit him to approve it. Following which, the government convened a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate, which approved them.
Alvi again refused to sign them, terming them “regressive”, and sent them back. But procedurally, 10 days after a joint sitting passes a bill, it is considered law even if the president refuses assent.
Late last month, former prime minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan approached the Supreme Court to challenge the amendments, contending that they will “virtually eliminate any white-collar crime committed by a public office holder”.
Responding to the PTI’s criticism, the government has maintained that it can justify all changes to the law, adding that it is merely trying to ensure NAB can no longer be used for political victimisation.
