Fed govt to approach political leadership over new NAB ordinance

ISLAMABAD: Federal government has decided to take coalition and opposition parties into confidence before issuing an amended National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance, ARY NEWS reported quoting Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser.

In a message posted on Twitter, Asad Qaiser said that a consultative meeting on NAB ordinance was held today, however, they have not reached a consensus on it.

It has been decided to take opposition parties into confidence over the mater and after it an amended NAB ordinance will be promulgated.

Soon after his remarks, the federal government formed a three-member committee to reach out to the coalition and opposition parties.

The committee comprise of the Speaker Asad Qaiser, Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan and Defence Minister Pervez Khattak.

Other than consultation with the political leadership, the committee would also sit with legal fraternity to discuss regarding any lacuna in the ordinance.

The committee would prepare a revised document of NAB ordinance within two weeks after consultation process and then it would be promulgated.

On December 30, 2019, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said the NAB Amendment Ordinance, 2019 will be brought to Parliament for approval, asking parliamentarians to put forth “workable and positive” suggestions for further improving the ordinance.

In a statement, he said reforms in the NAB law were long overdue as a special parliamentary committee was also set up during the previous PML-N tenure for the purpose.

The body did a lot of work on the reforms but unfortunately, couldn’t finish the assigned task, he added.

FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi stressed the incumbent government has floated a proposal in the shape of the ordinance.