ISLAMABAD: Two key ordinances including Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Ordinance, 2019 and the National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 were on Thursday tabled in the National Assembly, ARY NEWS reported.
The accountability bill introduced in the lower house of the parliament is aimed at reforming the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Under the bill, the anti-graft watchdog will only be able to pursue corruption cases worth Rs500mn and above. NAB cannot freeze the properties of government employees without a court order. If NAB fails to complete an investigation against a suspect within three months, the accused will be entitled to bail.
The anti-graft watchdog’s jurisdiction over matters relating to imports and levy has been curtailed. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been tasked to act on matters relating to tax, stock exchange, and IPOs.
While defending the passage of the accountability ordinance in December 2019, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan said that NAB’s duty is to take action against mega corruption scandals, which it would do with more powers and better focus, she added.
Those government employees who achieved personal objectives by exploiting procedural loopholes or institutional flaws will face action, she warned, adding public office holders who multiplied their wealth while being in the office are not exempt.
The opposition parties have criticized the incumbent federal government for using ordinances to run the government rather than passing bills from the Parliament.
The other ordinance tabled in the assembly on women’s property rights will guarantee the right of ownership to women in inheritance. The bill aims at preventing the family from denying this right to women through “coercion, fraud, fabrication, forgery and cheating”.
After being tabled in the assembly, both the bills were referred to the concerned standing committees for further deliberation on them.
 Ordinance, 2019 were on Thursday tabled in the National Assembly){kind=link}