The Lahore High Court Chief Justice has constituted a full bench to decide a petition challenging the conviction of Nawaz Sharif and his family members under the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999.
Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi had referred the matter to the Chief Justice for disposal by a larger bench as some important legal points were raised in it.
The petitioner AK Dogar pleaded that former premier Nawaz Sharif and others had been convicted without jurisdiction as the NAO has become a dead law. He stated that the high court should suspend the operation of the judgment.
Questioning the validity of NAB law, Advocate Dogar argued that the ordinance was promulgated by then military dictator/president General Pervez Musharraf retired under Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) No.1 of 1999 as well as order No 9 of 1999. He said under Article 270-AA of the Constitution through 18th amendment, the PCO No1 of 1999 was declared without lawful authority and of no legal effect. The lawyer argued that once PCO No.1 was declared without lawful authority, the amendments in it made under order No 9 of 1999 will also stand lapsed. AK Dogar argued that after the 18th amendment and insertion of Article 270-AA in the Constitution, the NAB ordinance has ceased to be a law.