ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser has contacted PML-N and PPP for consultation between the government and the opposition on NAB law amendments.
Sources in the ruling party said that the government intends to complete the consultation process in a fortnight time so that without any delay the required amendments could be made to the NAB law.
These sources said that Asad Qaiser has spoken to Khawaja Asif of PML-N and Naveed Qamar of the PPP with regard to government’s intention to amend the NAB Law. NA Speaker is expected to play the key role in the government-opposition consultation process.
A high-level government committee, set up by Prime Minister Imran Khan on NAB law changes and comprising Asad Umar, Babar Awan, Farogh Nasim, Shahzad Akbar, Pervaiz Khattak will meet on Saturday to consider draft changes being prepared by the law ministry.
Next week, it is said, the committee will start discussing with stakeholders that include the PTI coalition partners and opposition parties. Later the matter will be placed before the PTI Core Committee after which either the agreed amendments will be made through a Presidential Ordinance or through legislation by convening session of Parliament.
A source involved in the process told The News that the government intends to complete the consultation process within a fortnight time.
Last week, Prime Minister Imran Khan had given a go-ahead signal to the committee to consult all stakeholders including the opposition parties to amend the NAB law either through an ordinance or if possible by convening a session of Parliament to carry out the required legislation.
The Law Ministry is presently working on a new draft ordinance to bring back in the NAB law at least those changes (with amendments) which have been vanished a few days back because of the expiry of the Ordinance issued in December last year.
The National Accountability (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2019, promulgated in end-December having the usual 120-day constitutional life, expired on Friday last. Consequently, the much-appreciated changes made in the NAB law by the PTI government to protect public office holders particularly the civil bureaucracy, and the businessmen from Bureau’s harassment, have elapsed.
The government committee has not only met the NA Speaker but is in regular contact with Asad Qaiser to ensure that the consultation process takes place smoothly and the government and the opposition could reach to an agreed draft law.
In case the government and opposition continue to be divided on reaching a consensus draft changes in the NAB law, the government will issue a new ordinance for changes that it will deem appropriate.
The National Accountability (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2019, promulgated in end-December having the usual 120-day constitutional life, was primarily meant to infuse confidence in the bureaucrats and encourage them to take decisions and to not sit on files, affecting the government business.
The legal cover was provided to the actions of civil servants and public officeholders (politicians) done in good faith and in discharge of duties and performance of official functions if their decisions did not bring to them any monetary gain, swelling their assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.
These amendments were introduced through a Presidential Ordinance after the government had realised that neither the businesses would work here nor the bureaucracy will serve unless the abuse of power by NAB is checked by clipping its powers.
The government wanted to place the Ordinance, now lapsed, before Parliament for legislation but due to COVID-19 pandemic, Parliament could not be summoned.
The expiry of the December 2019 Ordinance has once again made the businessmen and the bureaucracy vulnerable as the NAB has now regained its past powers that have been grossly abused and led to station where the civil servants as well as the businessmen clearly told the government that they cannot work in such an environment of harassment and blackmail.
Not only the businessmen and bureaucrats had complained to the prime minister against the abuse of power by NAB but they also separately met the Army Chief and sought his help to protect them from harassment.
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