As the process to reopen corruption cases is gaining momentum after the Supreme Court’s (SC) landmark judgement in which it had struck down amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999 made by the parliament, officials of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday produced in an accountability court (AC) of Islamabad record of all graft references, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Accountability court (AC) judge Muhammad Bashir had directed NAB Prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi to inform the court about the nature of these cases against different persons such as private and public office-holders and politicians. “You have to guide us as to which case we can hear, and which case we can’t,” the judge said.
The prosecutor replied that in the light of the SC’s verdict, the NAB would today produce record of cases in the court.
On the other hand, the NAB Lahore, too, is taking steps on a war footing to reopen corruption cases in the light of the apex court’s verdict.
Quoting its sources, the TV channel reported that in this connection, NAB’s prosecution wing had been ordered to make a list of these cases.
They disclosed that the Wing would finalize these lists in a day or two.
Also on Thursday, NAB’s investigation officers (IOs) met with the AC’s registrar in Islamabad on the issue of record of corruption cases.
Sources told 24News TV channel that in the meeting that lasted for half an hour, the registrar directed the IOs to produce record of these cases one by one so that these could be later sent to relevant courts.
The NAB had yesterday (Wednesday) filed an application in the accountability court to reopen 81 corruption references worth billions of rupees after the Supreme Court declared the NAB amendments null and void.
According to 24News HD TV channel, the application was submitted by the NAB chairman in the court of Judge Muhammad Bashir.
The TV channel’s report said the NAB had appealed to the court to reopen the references against the former president Asif Ali Zardari, former prime ministers Yousaf Raza Gilani and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former finance ministers Ishaq Dar and Miftah Ismail and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.
Six days back, accepting PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s petition, the SC had scrapped amendments made to the NAO, 1999. A three-judge bench, headed by CJP Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, announced the reserved verdict, which restored graft cases against public office holders that had been closed down following the amendments.
Reporters: Farzana Siddique and Saud Butt