Islamabad: Chief Justice of Pakistan, Omar Ata Bandial, has made significant remarks regarding amendments to the law of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
In response to NAB’s appeal against the directive to inform PML-N leader Mian Javed Latif before his arrest, the Chief Justice of Pakistan presided over the hearing.
NAB Prosecutor Rizwan Sati said that the decision to inform the accused before arrest is against the law, the NAB amendment has been applied since the past.
The Chief Justice of Pakistan remarked that Javed Latif’s case was at the inquiry stage, at that time arrest cannot be made.
NAB Prosecutor added that after the amendment on July 3, 2023, during the inquiry stage, arrest can also take place, On which Justice Umar Atta Bandial said that the NAB amendments made in July are suspicious, the NAB amendments made on July 3 are in conflict with the court decisions.
Chief Justice of Pakistan inquired how someone summoned for questioning can be put in jail for not answering questions. The NAB law was draconian until 2001; the amendments in NAB law to reduce the remand period and grant bail are positive.
Justice Ather Minallah remarked that the interpretation of NAB law can be subject to judicial decisions and constitutional principles.
The Supreme Court dismissed NAB’s appeal against the directive to inform the accused before arrest and remarked that the Islamabad High Court’s order was before the amendment of July 3.
