ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in pursuance of the Supreme Court order dated 23rd July 2020, on Thursday filed proposed rules.

Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed had asked the NAB chairman to frame rules in terms of Section 34 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, as the SOPs were not substitute for the rules.

According to the proposed rules, the NAB chairman has the authority to appoint directors general and directors in the bureau. The NAB chairman will issue guidelines for the arrest of a person accused of corrupt practices, and it would be mandatory for all officials to follow them.

The chairman would give a final nod to any reference against the accused, and only he would have the authority to decide on it, and issue guidelines for the reference.

The reference would be filed a month later after approval from the chairman.

Under the proposed rules, the chairman would have the authority to hire officials on BPS-19 and above grades, while director general Human Resource would make appointments on vacant posts between BPS-16 to BPS-18.

Director Human Resource would make appointments on BPS-1 to BPS-15 posts.

The fresh proposed rules also lay down guidelines for arrests, references, voluntary return of amounts, and plea bargain.

Complaint and its verification, inquiry, and investigation process are also defined under new proposed rules.

It added that complaints received to the NAB headquarters would be sent to the concerned NAB office, and would be presented before the regional board within one month of being received.

The regional board would be bound to verify a complaint within eight weeks, and would convert it into an inquiry after receiving credible information on it.

Arrests could be made during the inquiry process, if required and the NAB officials would be bound to complete the inquiry process within a month and could get an extension of one month in the period, if needed.

The NAB chairman could further extend the period by three weeks.

The investigation officer would also be bound to maintain a diary of the investigation process, the new proposed rules submitted to the Supreme Court read.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020