NAB Amendment Bill 2023 comes into effect

Act becomes law after constitutional period’s passage of re-approval by president

ISLAMABAD:

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Amendment Bill 2023 became a law by itself after the passage of the constitutional period of re-approval by the president.

The bill was approved in a joint session of parliament on 15 May. According to sources, NAB Amendment Bill 2023 will be considered approved by the president under Clause 2 of Article 75 of the Constitution.

After all the stages of bill approval were completed, the National Assembly secretariat issued a notification. According to the sources, the secretariat has fulfilled all the requirements in the light of the law and rules and regulations and has issued a gazette notification to the Printing Corporation of Pakistan.

Amendments

According to the NAB law, the amendment bill will come into effect from 1999.

Under the bill, more powers had been given to the NAB chairman.

All pending inquiries intended to be transferred under sub-section 3 shall be considered by the NAB chairman.

The chairman will have the authority to close the inquiries started under any other law.

The chairman shall be authorised to refer all such inquiries to the relevant agency, institution or authority.

If the inquiry is not satisfactory, the NAB chairman will be authorised to send the case to the court concerned for approval for the release of the accused.

On receiving the inquiry from the NAB chairman, the agency or department concerned will be authorised to conduct further inquiry under clauses AB and B.

If the court is not satisfied, any case can be referred back to the relevant institution, agency or authority with the help of NAB.

On the return of the case from the NAB court, the department or authority concerned will be able to prosecute the case under its own rules.

The cases decided before the NAB Amendment Act 2022 and 2023 will remain in force.

These decisions will remain in effect until they are withdrawn.

Any court forum or agency shall be competent to record or re-record old or new witnesses under its respective laws for further proceedings in the case referred to it.

All pending inquiries, investigations, and trials under Section 5 of the NAB act will be further processed only under the rules of the institutions concerned.

In the absence of NAB chairman or incapacity for any reason, the deputy chairman will be authorised to take over the responsibilities of NAB.

In case of non-availability of the deputy chairman for any reason, the federal government will be authorised to appoint one of the senior officers of NAB as acting chairman.