NAB amendment ordinance yet not ready: PM aide

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Shehzad Akbar has rejected the draft of the NAB amendment ordinance circulating on social media, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Talking to ARY News, Shehzad Akbar said the draft ordinance circulating on media is fake as govt has not prepared the draft of the new National Accountability Ordinance (NAB) ordinance yet.

“The ordinance will be prepared with the consultation of NAB and Opposition. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) govt believes in rule of law and transparent accountability,” he added.

He further said that federal law minister Faroogh Naseem will prepare the ordinance.

Federal Minister for Law Froogh Naseem also rejected the NAB ordinance shared on media. “Don’t know who is spreading such fake news as I haven’t started work on the ordinance yet”.

Earlier on Tuesday, it emerged that the law minister Farogh Naseem has apprised the Prime Minister Imran Khan regarding amended NAB law in making and suggested him to take other political parties into confidence over the amendments.

Moreover, a government committee which also comprises Pervez Khattak and Asad Umar will take political parties and other stakeholders into confidence regarding the new NAB ordinance, sources said.

On April 25, the federal government had decided to take coalition and opposition parties into confidence before issuing an amended National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance.

In a message posted on Twitter, Asad Qaiser said that a consultative meeting on NAB ordinance was held today (April 25), however, they have not reached a consensus on it.

It has been decided to take opposition parties into confidence over the matter 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 comprises of the Speaker Asad Qaiser, Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan and Defence Minister Pervez Khattak.

Earlier on December 27 last year, President Dr Arif Alvi had signed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Amendment Ordinance 2019 which had immediately come into force. According to the ordinance, the ant graft watchdog will only be able to pursue corruption cases of worth Rs500mn and above.

The sources said that the decision has been taken to uplift the level of governance and business activities in the country.