ISLAMABAD – The Senate and National Assembly have approved the NAB Amendment Bill, with strong protests from the opposition during its passage.
The 2026 NAB Amendment Bill will now be sent to the President for signing.
The bill proposes giving the federal government the power to extend the tenure of the NAB chairman by three more years and includes appeals under the jurisdiction of accountability courts.
According to the bill, the financial threshold in NAB cases will be adjusted annually according to inflation, as per the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics’ inflation index.
Earlier, during the Senate session, Senator Abdul Qadir stood to present a private bill, saying he had another bill he wanted to be immediately approved. When he presented the NAB Amendment Bill for approval, the opposition protested. Senator Kamran Murtaza said the bill was neither on the agenda nor added as a supplementary agenda item.
Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani moved the bill in the house, which was approved by a majority vote.
The bill states that the tenure of the NAB chairman can be extended by three years. NAB or High Courts will have the authority to grant bail or release a convict. NAB and High Courts can grant bail or acquit under Sections 439, 496, 497, and 498 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
It also provides that a convict, or the NAB chairman’s directed prosecutor, may file an appeal in the Federal Constitutional Court within 30 days against the decision of the Accountability Court or High Court.
During the session, Senator Ali Zafar said this amendment is not in the government’s or its allies’ favor; instead, it could backfire and is legislation effectively made for one person, Imran Khan.
Leader of the House Ishaq Dar recalled that PTI had rushed over 50 pieces of legislation in the past. He said the NAB amendment is a private member bill, which no one even read. If PTI has an issue with the NAB Amendment Bill, they could propose amendments on the private member day.
Senator Kamran Murtaza said that the discussion is about extending the NAB chairman’s tenure, and the current chairman is set to retire in a few days. Previously, the opposition’s consent was required for the NAB chairman’s appointment, but now the opposition has been excluded from the process.
