ISLAMABAD: A joint sitting of parliament Monday passed the National Accountability (Amendment) Bill, 2023, after President Arif Alvi refused to give his assent, as the government seeks to “empower” the body’s chairman.
Both houses — the National Assembly and the Senate — passed the bill in April, but the president — in the same month — returned the bill to the parliament and advised the lawmakers to “reconsider” the amendments.
The president sent the bill back to the parliament under Article 75(1)(b) of the Constitution, saying that earlier amendments to the accountability laws were already pending before the Supreme Court — after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan challenged earlier amendments.
“This aspect has not been addressed in the bill and the prime minister’s advice,” the president had noted.
Now, as the joint sitting has passed the bill, even if the head of the state does not approve it within 10 days, the Constitution states that it will be deemed that the president has given his assent.
Presenting the motion for seeking approval of the bill, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the laws that were made during a dictator’s rule were now being used for political engineering.
The minister mentioned that despite Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) claim that the bill was an “NRO-II”, time would show the party that it is really an “NRO-II” for the PTI.
“NAB, under former chairman Javed Iqbal, was used for political engineering,” Tarar said.
Referring to the Supreme Court hearing on the NAB bill, the law minister said no institution has the right to interfere in the parliament’s matters.
“We have not interfered in any other institution’s jurisdiction so far [and we expect the same from the judiciary],” the minister said.
After the minister’s motion, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Senator Mushtaq Ahmed called for making some amendments to the law, but the house rejected those suggestions.
Moreover, the joint sitting passed the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which was moved by PML-N lawmaker Kesoo Mal Kheeal Das. The bill aims to amend the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, Pakistan Penal Code, 1860, and the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order, 1984. Parliament also passed the amendments moved by MNA Mehnaz Akbar Aziz in this legislative proposal.
Moved by PML-N MNA Syed Javed Husnain moved the Limitation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which proposed to give the right of appeal to the person awarded death penalty within 30 days. The House passed the Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which aims to ensure share of women and their legal heirs from inheritance. The bill was moved by PML-N MNA Syed Javed Husnain.
