No business: ACs give a deserted look after NAB law tweak

Only 11 cases pending in eight courts functioning in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

PESHAWAR:

Strange as it may sound, but the accountability courts in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are giving a deserted look thanks to the recent amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) by the current coalition government earlier this year.

The eight accountability courts in the province were holding trial in nearly 150 cases at the start of 2022. However, after the NAO amendments, the jurisdiction of the courts was restricted to corruption cases involving a minimum of Rs500 million. As a result 131 references of below that limit were returned to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Currently, the four accountability courts, established in the Old Judicial Complex of the Peshawar Sessions Court and four other courts, established in Hayatabad Judicial Complex, are trying a total of 11 cases. Even three courts are currently without a judicial officer (judges).

According to official sources, one accountability court cost the government around Rs14 million per month. Therefore, the government was still bearing the Rs110 million burden on account of the eight courts in the provincial capital.

Before the NAO amendment, around 142 NAB references were pending in these courts. But soon after the amendments, the cases of below-the-limit accused were returned to NAB following the challenge mounted by the accused. So far, about 131 cases have been returned and now only 11 cases remain in courts.

According to an official, there was only one case pending in the four courts in Hayatabad and 10 cases in the four courts at the Old Judicial Complex. Because of a lack of cases, the burden on the courts has been reduced to a great extent.