ISLAMABAD: Months after removing the majority of the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) jurisdiction through legal changes, the government is now considering a proposal to give the head of the accountability watchdog more power.
A draught would soon be made available to the federal cabinet in this regard, a government source said. It will give the NAB chairman the power to refer appropriate forums with non-cognizable cases that could not be heard in accountability courts.
The NAB chairman would also have the authority to end non-cognizable cases, and the relevant departments will be permitted to open new investigations in these situations.
The plan prohibited the transfer of one accountability court’s cases to another accountability court.
The NAB deputy chairman will execute these powers in the chairman’s absence. The deputy chairman will be a grade-21 officer, which is the equivalent of an army major general or lieutenant general.
Submission of a proposal to the cabinet
The federal government will be permitted to designate any NAB official to exercise the chairman’s functions in the absence of the deputy chairman.
The Senate deputy chairman will be regarded as a public office bearer for the first time under the plan and fall under NAB’s jurisdiction. Before this, the only person classified as holding a public position was the Senate chairman.
After the government named retired Lt Gen Nazir Ahmad as the new NAB chairman for three years, the action was taken two days later. Aftab Sultan was replaced by Mr. Butt after he left his position last month due to “intervention” and “pressure”.
