NAB has returned over 80 references to accountability courts including several political bigwigs that have served as former prime ministers. The Supreme Court had nullified the amendments in NAB laws and restored all graft cases.
The accountability court will scrutinize the cases before the hearing resumes from the point where it was left. In Islamabad, NAB has given the record of more than 80 cases to the accountability courts. This includes cases against former president Asif Ali Zardari, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, as well as former prime ministers Yusuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.
An accountability court has already issued notices to Raja Pervaiz Ashraf as the infamous rental power project case has been reopened. PPP’s Farzana Raja has been served a notice for misappropriating funds while serving as BISP chairperson.
In Lahore, NAB has returned 118 references to 10 accountability courts. This includes the Ramzan sugar mills against Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza, and the Paragon scandal against PML’s Khawaja Saad Rafique. The Park Lane case against Zardari and Toshakhana case against Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has been revived. In Sindh, a court has restored a graft case against former minister Sharjeel Memon.
The previous PDM government made amendments in NAB laws to escape accountability. This included a law that corruption cases worth less than Rs500 million were beyond the NAB’s purview. As a result, many cases were shelved indefinitely. On the other hand, PTI chairman Imran Khan had challenged the NAB amendments in the Supreme Court.
The departing Chief Justice Bandial nullified the NAB amendments, just days before he stepped down and hung his robes. All political bigwigs will now be back in the dock. With the National Assembly dissolved, there is no possibility of passing any legislation until a new government is formed. The only recourse is approaching the court to review the verdict.
There have been concerns about whether the caretaker government will hold the accountability of political leaders. The PPP and PML-N remain unfazed, saying that they have faced cases in the past and will continue to do so. There have been reports that 200 political leaders are placed on the stop list and effectively barred from leaving the country, which implies that massive accountability is perhaps finally on the cards.
