PHOTO: EXPRESS
“Under the Charter of Democracy, both the PML-N and the PPP had agreed to replace NAB with a more powerful and vibrant commission. Instead of one or two amendments, the NAB Ordinance-1999 should be reviewed in totality,” Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid suggested to the National Assembly standing committee on law and justice.
The committee met here under the chairmanship of Chaudhry Tariq Mahmood Bashir Virk to discuss four bills, seeking amendments to NAB laws.
Syed Naveed Qamar of the PPP will head the subcommittee. Raza Hayat Haraj, Muhammad Khan Sheerani, Arif Alvi and SA Iqbal Qadri will be its other members.
According to a press release, the subcommittee will hold consultations with all stakeholders on the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance and submit its recommendations in this regard within 60 days.
Qamar said all NAB powers should be devolved to the provinces and the burerau should be abolished at the federal level. The committee also approved ‘the Explosive Substances (Amendment) Bill-2016’ with an amendment proposed by Dr Arif Alvi.
Zahid Hamid said: “The law reform committee has recommended amending the Explosive Substances Act-1908 for the reason that the jurisdiction of courts to try a person under the act has been barred except with the consent of a provincial government, and such consent is normally neither given nor refused.
“Therefore, to avoid inordinate delays in a trial, an amendment in that act has been recommended to the extent that if such a consent is neither received nor refused within sixty days of the registration of a case by the government, such consent shall be deemed to have been duly given.” Another bill to amend Article 63 of the Constitution has been referred to the electoral reforms committee.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 1st, 2016.
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