ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar on Friday said that the government had proposed amendments to section-IV and V of the NAB law with regard to the references returned by the accountability courts.
“An ordinance would be issued until the Parliament in session to empower accountability courts to transfer references to relevant forums if these do not fall in their jurisdictions”, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said while addressing a press conference here on Friday.
The minister said that there had been rumors about the future of the references returned by the accountability courts recently, adding that indeed these references were not quashed instead only their forums had been changed.
The minister said that the NAB chairman would be authorized to send these inquiries and reference to the relevant institutions.
“However, investigations into various cases could be closed only if the court concerned recommend such a move”, he pointed out, adding that the NAB deputy chairman would use all the powers of chairman NAB in his absence.
He said that previously NAB had been accused of political engineering and the apex court had also made such observation during Saad Rafiq case.
“The leadership of PML-N was acquitted from NAB references by the courts under the previous laws,” he said.
Azam Nazeer Tarar said that PTI’s government had used the NAB for political purposes, adding that Imran Khan had introduced three ordinances during his tenure.
To a question, the minister said that under Article 19 of the constitution Toshakhana record from 2000 to onward would be public soon on website or in print form, without discrimination after being compiled.
He, however, said that compilation Toshakhana record since 1947 was a huge and time-consuming exercise.
To another questioned, he said that there was a need for every institution to focus and introduce self-accountability system.
