The source say the NAB after amendment won’t be able to take action against govt employees.
ISLAMABAD: (Urdu Point/Pakistan Point News-Dec 28th, 2019) The Ministry of law issued a notification after Cabinet’s approval of new changes in National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance, 2019, the sources said here on Saturday.
The sources said that Anti-Graft Body under the new amendment could take up only those cases which were involving corruption or corrupt practices exceeding the limit of Rs 500 million. The NAB, they said, would also not be able to take action against government employees over departmental deficiencies.
“Notwithstanding anything contained in this ordinance or any other law for the time being in force, no inquiry, investigation, arrest or proceedings against a government servant, under this ordinance, either as an accused or witness, shall be initiated or conducted by NAB without prior approval of the scrutiny committee,” said a new clause inserted in Section 33-F of the ordinance.
The new amendment in NAB ordinance also clipped its powers about taxation, levies and imports in questions.
“Inquiries and investigations shall stand transferred to the respective authorities or departments which administer the relevant laws of taxation, levies and imposts in question. “Trials shall stand transferred from the relevant accountability courts to the criminal courts which deal with offences under the respective laws pertaining to taxation, levies and imposts in question,” said the sources. In addition tot that, the NAB chairman under new changes, was bound to devise a “complaint redressal mechanism for attending complaints against NAB” and present a quarterly report on its performance to the federal government.
The sources said that a summary sent by the law ministry to the federal cabinet revealed that the NAB was dealing a large number of inquiries and investigation including handling of mega corruption cases.
“Under the existing regime a number of inquiries have been initiated against the holders of public office and government servants on account of procedural lapses where no actual corruption is involved. This has enhanced NAB’s burden and has also affected working of the federal government.”
NAB had assumed parallel jurisdiction and was inquiring into matters pertaining to taxation, imposition of levies and interference in the domain of taxation regulatory bodies, they added. NAB’s jurisdiction, they stated, over matters relating to tax, stock exchange and IPOs had also been curtailed. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and building control authorities would be the sole authorities tasked to act on all such matters.
On Dec 27, Federal Cabinet approved the circulation summary, and issued the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Amendment Ordinance 2019 after President Dr Arif Alvi signed it.
