Sheikh Rasheed’s responds to SC verdict on NAB amendment bill

• The SC declared the NAB amendment bill null and void.
• Sheik Rasheed lauded CJ for the decision.
• He hopes for a process of accountability without discrimination.

Rawalpindi: Awami Muslim League (AML) Chairman Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has reacted to the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan’s decision on the NAB amendment bill on Friday.

The former interior minister stated that Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial made a historic decision in his last days that will have far-reaching consequences.

In fact, when the NAB Amendment Bill is nullified, the process of accountability will begin without discrimination. Additionally, during the past one and a half years, his efforts to end the corruption cases went in vain.

Moreover, this corrupt group has sunk the ship of the country for their own interests; the poor are dying of hunger these days just because of these looters, he added.

The Supreme Court ordered to restore the corruption cases and inquiries against public office holders that were withdrawn after amendments were made to the country’s accountability laws.

The reserved verdict was announced by a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah on a petition challenging amendments made to the accountability laws.

CJP Bandial and Justice Ahsan declared the plea maintainable while Justice Shah disented with the majority verdict. The court also declared some amendments to the accountability laws to be contrary to the Constitution and struck them down.

These included one that limited the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) jurisdiction to cases involving over Rs500 million and one that allowed the accused to claim the amount of plea bargain deposited after being acquitted.

The court directed that the cases withdrawn after NAB’s jurisdiction was limited to investigating cases below Rs500m be fixed for hearing in accountability courts.

The court also declared null and void the verdicts issued by the accountability courts in light of the amendments made to the laws.

It directed that the cases withdrawn as a result of the amendments be fixed for hearing in accountability courts within a week. The court further directed the NAB to send the records to the relevant courts within seven days.

In June 2022, the PTI chief moved the apex court against amendments made to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance under the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Act 2022