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Akbar defends govt’s move to make changes in accountability law

Akbar defends govt’s move to make changes in accountability law
December 29, 2019
ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Shahazad Akbar on Sunday defended the government’s decision to make changes in the country’s accountability law through a presidential ordinance. It is pertinent to mention here that the PTI-led government had made drastic changes in the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 through a presidential ordinance promulgated on Friday. Under the ordinance, the powers of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) were curtailed keeping in view frequent complaints of the bureaucracy and the business community. Addressing a press conference along with Federal Minister for Communications Murad Saeed, the special assistant clarified that the propaganda against NAB amendment ordinance is baseless, while, the impression that the accountability process is terminated is also wrong. “Pakistan has a strict accountability law, but some positive changes in institutions are inevitable. The amendment Ordinance is being criticized without reading the bill,” the special assistant said. “If a case came to NAB because of wrong decision, it was not right. The lawsuit case should be registered against the tax evader but it will undercome in the domain of the FBR,” he mentioned. “There is need of strict law regarding corruption case,” he added. He said that no one can get personal benefit during the PTI government’s tenure. He said that the impression was being spread during the last couple of days that the accountability process is over, adding that the wishes to amend the NAB law during the previous tenures was based on dishonesty. Shahzad Akbar further said that the economic situation of the country was very bad when PTI government came into power and now the economy is on the right track. “Amendments had been made in the NAB laws in the past to protect themselves,” he said. The Ministry of Law has issued a notification on Saturday after the approval of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Amendment Ordinance 2019. Earlier, the NAB Amendment Ordinance 2019 has been challenged at Karachi Registry of the Supreme Court. A citizen Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi has filed a petition at Karachi Registry of the SC challenging the NAB Amendment Ordinance, 2019, promulgated by the PTI-led government through a presidential ordinance on Friday. The petitioner has made the federal government, the Ministry of Law secretary, the Cabinet Division secretaries, Ministry of Interior, Establishment Division, the NAB chairman, the NAB Director General Headquarters and others as party in the case. The petitioner said, “All citizens are equal in the constitution of Pakistan, the amended ordinance is violation of the constitution and the fundamental rights of citizens.” The application pleaded with the apex court to immediately order suspending the National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019, while claiming that the amendment was against Article 25 of the Constitution, and an attempt to protect the corruption of ministers and government officials.