Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday announced to challenge the amendments to the National Accountability Bill in the Supreme Court (SC), maintaining that the proposed changes will undermine the anti-graft body's ability to prosecute "corrupt politicians."
While addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the PTI chairman called for throwing the incumbent rulers behind bars for “shamelessly” passing the amendments in the NAB laws.
“They should be put in jail for their shamelessness. Nobody can pass such laws the way this government did,” the PTI chairman said.
Amended NAB law will save white collar criminals from accountability: Imran Khan
He expressed hope that the top court would take notice of the development, adding that if such amendments were allowed then it would be detrimental to the country.
Khan said that with the proposed amendments, the government has practically removed the investigation of money laundering cases from NAB’s jurisdiction and given it to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
“The FIA is already under the Interior Ministry’s control. How can we imagine that Rana Sanaullah will launch cases against Nawaz Sharif or Asif Zardari?” he questioned.
The PTI chairman said that the government has also allowed people to “make money through the Benami accounts" as they will not be held accountable anymore.
NAB law amendment bill adopted by NA
“Amendments made to these laws are worse than dropping a bomb on the country,” Khan said.
Khan's reaction comes a day after President Dr Arif Alvi refused to sign the National Accountability (Amendment) Bill, saying that the implementation was "misused for political exigencies by those in power and by vested interests".
Last month, the government passed the National Accountability (Amendment) Bill, 2022, in the National Assembly and the Senate but President Alvi returned the bill unsigned on two occasions.
Earlier, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar said that the NAB law was used for suppressing the voice of opponent politicians and needed amendment.
He said that “all the amendments ordered by superior judiciary from time to time had been accommodated in the new bill," adding that after passage of the bill, the NAB must complete inquiries within a period of six months.