Shehbaz, Zardari and Kakar may face cases as SC annuls amendments in NAB laws

ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court on Friday declared a petition filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan against the amendments made by the previous coalition government to accountability laws admissible, a ruling that may lead to reopening of corruption cases against public office holders.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah announced the ruling with 2-1 majority.

CJP Bandial and Justice Ahsan declared Imran’s plea admissible while Justice Shah wrote a dissenting note.

The court also invalidated some amendments made to the accountability laws, calling them contrary to the Constitution of Pakistan.

The top court has invalidated an amendment which limited the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) powers regarding cases involving over Rs500 million. It has also struck down another amendment related to the plea bargain.

The apex court has directed that cases which were closed as the amount involving in them were below Rs500 million should be fixed for hearing before accountably courts. It has given seven days to NAB to send the record of all cases to the courts.

Who Will Face Cases Again?

The judgment reopens cases against one former president and six former prime ministers of the country, whose cases were closed under the amendments to the NAB laws.

Reports said cases against former president Asif Ali Zardari, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, ex-PMs Shehbaz Sharif, Raja Parvez Ashraf and others will be reopened.

Former PMs Yousaf Raza Gilani and Shaukat Aziz, former finance ministers Shaukat Tareen and Ishaq Dar, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Hamza Shehbaz, Khawaja Saad Rafique are among others who will face the cases again.

Background

In June 2022, Imran Khan had moved the apex court against amendments made to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance by the PMD government.

The amendments made several changes to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999, including reducing the term of the NAB chairman and prosecutor general to three years, limiting NAB’s jurisdiction to cases involving over Rs500 million, and transferring all pending inquiries, investigations, and trials to the relevant authorities.

The PTI chairman in his petition alleged that the amendments to the NAB laws will benefit the influential suspects in mega corruption cases.