A notification of the increase in the powers of the Chairman NAB has been issued as NAB Amendment Act 2023, giving power to NAB chairman to close cases and investigations.
NAB Amendment Act 2023 came into effect. Chairman NAB will be able to close cases and investigations. According to the amendment Act, all the corruption cases filed against the Section-5 of NAB will be closed. The deputy chairman of the anti-graft watchdog will have the powers in case NAB chairman will not be there.
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It is pertinent to note that according to the NAB law, the amendment bill will come into effect from 1999.
Earlier, President Dr Arif Alvi on Sunday sent back National Accountability (Amendment) Bill 2023 to parliament for reconsideration after observing that the amendments brought earlier in the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 were sub-judice before the Supreme Court.
The president sent back the piece of legislation, in terms of clause (1) (b) of Article 75 of the Constitution, President Secretariat Press Wing said.
Earlier, the prime minister had sent his advice-seeking assent of the president over the said bill.
National Accountability (Amendment) Act 2023
The Nationals Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice on April 10 passed the National Accountability (Amendment) Act, 2023, seeking to remove the legal complications in the transfer of cases from accountability court to relevant forums which do not fall within the jurisdiction of the NAB Ordinance.
On April 19, the Senate passed the bill without referring to the standing committee concerned. The bill was moved in the Senate by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar.
The bill not only empowered the NAB chairman to transfer graft cases involving corruption of less than Rs500 million to the relevant agency, authority or department, but also close the pending inquiries and investigations where he thinks no case is made out.
Under a proviso added to Section 4 of the NAB Ordinance as and when the office of the NAB chairman falls vacant, or when the chairman is absent or unable to perform the functions of his office, due to any action whatsoever, the deputy chairman shall act as the NAB chairman and in absence of deputy chairman, the federal government shall appoint an acting chairman from amongst the senior officers of NAB.
