ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial on Tuesday observed the common man failed to access justice system due to corruption in society, saying it would not be appropriate for the top court to wait for approval of the NAB ordinance as it was hearing the case since long.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial made observation while heading a three-member Supreme Court of Pakistan bench hearing of a petition filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan against amendments to NAB laws. The Supreme Court of Pakistan adjourned the case for further till Wednesday (today).
The three-member SC bench is consisted of CJP Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah.
During hearing, the chief justice asked whether accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income was still a crime as per the NAB law? To which, the government’s lawyer responded in affirmative.
The CJP observed that the amendment to the law of plea bargain was also a good act.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah asked whether there was any legal precedent for applying amendments to the law from the past and which countries of South Asia institutions like NAB were working?
During the course of proceedings, the federal government’s Lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan submitted the draft of NAB amendment ordinance 2023 in the court and said that the new amendments to NAB law had been proposed in section-V and others which was lying with the President for a formal approval. The lawyer said that the changes were introduced in the powers of the NAB chairman through the amendments and now he had to take the approval of the court to quash any case. The court could adjourn the case until the approval of the law by the president, he said.
Makhdom Ali said that debate on corruption and court interference was not only limited to Pakistan. According to an international journal, two political parties were fighting in the US to get control of the judiciary.
The lawyer said that Imran Khan’s led government had introduced amendments to NAB law in 2019 for political victimization and several renowned politicians were arrested. The said amendment was withdrawn in 2021 through an ordinance, he added.
Makhdoom Ali Khan said that the government had made corruption a difficult practice through the fresh amendments to NAB Law. He said that the government had just restored the amendments which were withdrawn during PTI’s regime.
The court adjourned hearing of the case till Wednesday (today).
