Islamabad High Court Questions Legality of Ordinance Issued by Acting President

Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court has raised questions about the legality of an ordinance passed by the Acting President in the case concerning amendments to the NAB (National Accountability Bureau) laws. The court’s remarks centered on whether an Acting President has the authority to issue such ordinances.
During a hearing on a petition challenging the NAB (Amendment) Ordinance 2024, Chief Justice Aamer Farooq addressed objections raised by the petitioner. The petitioner, represented by lawyer Muhammad Azhar Siddique, argued that the new amendments increased the remand period from 14 to 40 days and reduced the punishment for officials filing malicious cases from 5 years to 2 years. The petitioner highlighted that this ordinance had not been presented before Parliament and had been enacted without parliamentary approval.
The lawyer contended that extending the remand period beyond 14 days violates fundamental human rights and that reducing the punishment for filing false cases was unjust, especially when NAB accused individuals often face long sentences. He called for the ordinance to be withdrawn immediately, asserting that it contravenes legal principles by bypassing parliamentary procedures.
Chief Justice Farooq inquired whether an Acting President is legally empowered to pass such ordinances. The court has directed a review of relevant Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court rulings on presidential ordinances and has issued notices to the Attorney General and other parties involved. The case has been adjourned until August 6 for further proceedings.