ISLAMABAD: Amidst protest and pandemonium, the government on Thursday, managed to get its two bills sail through the Senate—including the highly controversial National Accountability (Second Amendment) Bill 2022, which the opposition alleged, aimed to render the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) toothless in probing mega corruption cases—to benefit the ruling elite.

Yet again, the role of Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani came under strong criticism from the opposition for putting this bill before the house for passage without referring it to the relevant standing committee.

Just a day earlier, the bill was passed by the National Assembly. It now requires the president’s ascent to become a law.

The charged opposition senators tore apart the copies of the house’s business agenda, circled the desk of chairman Senate and chanted anti-government slogans. The opposition lambasted Sanjrani for favouring the treasury benches by allowing the bill to be put up for passage while bypassing the relevant committee.

“This bill seeks to save the skin of these corrupt rulers,” deplored Shibli Faraz from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), speaking on the floor of the house in the Senate sitting.

Those involved in mega financial corruption up to 50 million rupees will go scot-free as result of this bill, he added.

Mushtaq Ahmed from Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) said the big guns involved in sending their illegal money abroad need to be taken to task and the bills like National Accountability (Second Amendment) Bill 2022 simply aim to provide them refuge. He proposed amendments in the bill which the house rejected.

State Law Minister Shahdat Awan from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) presented the bill. In protest, the opposition senators staged a walkout from the Senate. In the absence of the opposition, the bill was passed by treasury senators.

The National Accountability (Second Amendment) Bill 2022 seeks to amend the National Accountability Ordinance 1999.

According to the statement of objects and reasons of this bill, the purpose of the amendment is to exclude private transactions from the scope of the national accountability.

“Through the insertion of proposed amendments, the pecuniary jurisdiction of the NAB has been fixed to take only action against mega scandals. Further, it is proposed that supplementary references can only be filed with the permission of the court to expedite the proceedings of the court within one year. Also after the proposed amendments, the investigation officers shall not harass any person at the time of investigation or inquiry and confine his question relevant to the investigation or inquiry or for the extracting evidence and that the accused must be informed whether he has been summoned in the capacity of accused or witness and information be given to him to enable him to give his evidence,” the statement says.

The Section 25 in this bill is related to protect the interest of the government that in case persons entering into plea bargain fail to make payment pursuant to the payment approved by the court, the plea bargain agreement will become infructuous, according to the statement of object and reasons.

Earlier, the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Bill 2022 was passed by Senate on May 27 this year. That time too, the chairman Senate allowed it to be put up for voting without referring the bill to relevant standing committee. This bill was passed by NA on May 26. The bill that was passed on Thursday is slightly modified version of the original bill.

Also, the Senate passed another government bill— the Public Private Partnership Authority (Amendment) Bill 2022 to allow the execution of Sambrial-Kharian Motorway Project under public- private partnership.

Meanwhile, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution to pay profound tribute to the soldiers of Pakistan Army, who embraced martyrdom in the recent incident of helicopter crash during flood relief operation in Balochistan.

The resolution, moved by Sarfaraz Bugti from Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), appreciated the services of the security forces in carrying out relief efforts to help the flood-hit people in various parts of the country including Balochistan. The house was adjourned till today (Friday).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022