ISLAMABAD
The PML-N-led federal government has made it illegal for the nation’s leading anti-graft agency, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), to make direct arrests of elected politicians.
Regarding complaints brought against elected officials, NAB will have to notify the chairman of the Senate or the speaker of the National Assembly. If a NAB officer is shown to be in violation of these orders, they could be sentenced to up to a year in prison and fined Rs. 100,000.
Sources familiar with a recent meeting between Speaker Ayaz Sadiq of the NA and the NAB chairman claim that Sadiq gave the NAB head the new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for handling corruption accusations against lawmakers.
NAB shall get in touch with the NA speaker in accordance with SOPs if a complaint is made against a member of the National Assembly (MNA). The Senate chairman is the first person the graft-buster will seek in the event of a complaint against a senator.
No parliamentarian will be detained while the investigation is ongoing, and no member or political figure will be singled out based just on accusations.
It is against the law for NAB personnel to comment publicly or in the media about any politician or elected official. NAB officials will only make statements in response to the filing of a reference against a political or elected official.
If officers are found to be in violation of these guidelines, they could be fined up to Rs 100,000 and imprisoned for a month or a year.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NAB), which was established under the military dictator General Pervez Musharraf, is frequently accused of using political engineering and victimizing political opponents. A number of politicians have advocated for the watchdog’s reformation or even dissolution in recent years.
