Govt to amend law regarding returned references: Law Minister

• Tarar dismissed rumors regarding references returned by accountability courts
• He said the government has proposed amendments in NAB law
• He said references were not quashed but forums have been changed

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar dismissed rumors regarding the references returned by the accountability courts following the NAB amendments.

Addressing a press conference, the federal minister said that the government has proposed amendments in section-IV and V of the NAB law regarding references returned by the accountability courts.

He said an ordinance would be issued until the Parliament in session. He added that the accountability courts had been given powers to transfer the references to the relevant forums if these did not fall in their jurisdictions.

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 chairman NAB would be authorized to send the inquiries to the relevant institutions. However, the investigations on various matters could be closed only if the court would be satisfied.

He said that 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 observed the same in Saad Rafique’s case.

He maintained that PM-N leadership of was acquitted from NAB references by the courts under the previous laws.

Tarar said that PTI’s government used the NAB for political purposes and Imran Khan 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 said that compiling record of Toshakhana since 1947 was a huge and time-taking exercise. He said that there was a need that every institution should have self-accountability system.

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