New accountability law being drafted, says law minister

He clarifies NAB can still act against federal employees in the province

KARACHI: After repealing the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, in Sindh, the provincial government has started consultations with legal and constitutional experts to draft a new accountability law to deal with corruption in the province.

In this connection, Sindh Law Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar chaired on Tuesday a meeting, which was attended by Advocate General Zameer Ghumro, former law adviser to the chief minister Barrister Murtaza Wahab and Sindh Information Minister Nasir Shah, among others.

Lanjar said the government has been reviewing some provisions of the previous anti-corruption law to incorporate them in the bill for a new accountability institution that will be tabled in Sindh Assembly soon. "It is the provincial assembly's prerogative to make the law," he said.



The law minister was of the view that the head of the accountability institution should be appointed after consultation with various stakeholders and political parties.  "We want to make a law which is acceptable to everyone living in the province," he said.

Responding to a query whether the governor has approved the repealing of the old law, Lanjar said the assembly secretariat has sent the bill to the governor for his assent. "I don't know whether the governor has signed it," he said, adding that after the 18th Amendment, the Sindh Assembly has powers to enact a law even if the governor does not give his assent to it.

"If the governor refuses to sign the bill and refers it back to the assembly with a dissenting note, the assembly will still have the power to turn the law into an act," he said.



The law minister also clarified that once the new law is enacted, the National Accountability Bureau could still take action in the province but only against federal government employees or corruption cases related to the Centre.

Commenting on Rangers' special powers, the law minster said the powers will be extended and in this regard the home department will send a summary to the chief minister for his approval.