More graft cases revived

ISLAMABAD:

More graft cases revived
NAB hands over Toshakhana references involving Nawaz, Zardari and Gilani to courtsOUR CORRESPONDENTISLAMABADThe National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has submitted records for 18 additional references to the courts in Islamabad in response to the striking down of amendments to the accountability law.
These references encompass prominent figures such as PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Zardari, former Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, and National Assembly Speaker and former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.
NAB has so far handed over the records of 44 references out of 80 to the Islamabad accountability courts.
On Friday, it submitted the records of the Toshakhana (gift repository) references related to Nawaz, Zardari, and Gilani to the court.
The record of Turkey’s Karkey rental power plant reference against NA speaker and former premier Ashraf has also been handed over to the court.
The anti-graft body has submitted to the court the record of a reference against Zardari involving suspicious transactions worth Rs8 billion.
NAB has submitted the records of these three references to accountability court III. Meanwhile, the court staff is still examining the records.
The records of four more references were handed over to accountability court I on Friday. Also, the records of two more references were submitted to accountability court II. NAB submitted the records of 12 additional references to accountability court III.
To comply with the Supreme Court’s September 15 order of striking down some sections of the amendments made to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) of 1999 by the previous government, NAB has decided to revive over 81 corruption cases involving prominent politicians, including Nawaz and Zardari among others.
In the judgment, a three-member bench, comprising the then chief justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah gave details of the number of cases and the total amount of money involved in them.
The judgment came with a 2-1 majority, as Justice Shah wrote a note of dissent.
The apex court’s decision on PTI chief Imran Khan’s plea, challenging the amendments to the law, opened the floodgates for many as the NAB’s report submitted before the court had named the leaders of almost all major political parties, who benefited from the tweaks.
As a result of the 2022 amendments, a large number of references filed by NAB in accountability courts were affected.Home vertical 3 and pak (NATIONAL PAGE)