NAB Amendment Bill Passed in Senate Amid Opposition Protests, Lawmakers Tear Copies

Islamabad: The Senate has passed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Amendment Bill, triggering strong protests from the opposition, who tore copies of the bill during the session.

The bill was presented in the Senate by Senator Abdul Qadir Patel. Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani conducted a vote on the motion to introduce the bill.

According to the bill, the current NAB chairman will continue to perform duties until a new chairman is appointed. Even after completing their term, the chairman may continue in office. Any person affected by a High Court decision can file an appeal in the Federal Shariat Court within 30 days.

The bill specifies that appeals will only be admissible if they involve a significant legal question, a serious procedural error, or a major miscarriage of justice. Appeals based on other grounds will not be considered.

Senator Kamran Murtaza objected, questioning how the bill was being presented in the House, noting that it was neither on the agenda nor listed as a supplementary agenda item.

Senator Ali Zafar criticized the bill, saying that currently NAB court decisions go to the High Court and then, as per law, to the Supreme Court. With the new bill, constitutional matters will now go to a Constitutional Court instead. He argued that this appears to bypass the Supreme Court, which is independent, and move criminal cases to a court perceived to be under government control.

Zafar further stated that the NAB chairman is appointed in consultation with the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition. “Now you are giving extensions to the NAB chairman. If you want to extend tenures, do so for all relevant offices and make them permanent,” he remarked.