The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) changes case has been put off until after the arguments are over by a five-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The federal government’s appeal was heard by a five-judge bench led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and made up of Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minallah, and Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi.
The arrested founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), former prime minister Imran Khan, spoke to the court through a video link from Adiala Jail.
Farooq H. Naek said what he thought in court on behalf of the Pakistan Peoples Party.
The federal government has fought against the highest court’s decision in September of last year that changes to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 2002 were unlawful.
The court didn’t make a ruling right away after the arguments were over. The order for today’s sessions was written by Chief Justice Isa.
The chief justice said in the written order that anyone who wants to send a written answer can do so. He said, “NAB has kept the money with itself” and said that the case had been brought to the Supreme Court on questions of arbitration. “How are you going to carry even one rupee?” The chief judge told the prosecutor general of the NAB to show up in person.
Naek said that no NAB cases were opened while the PPP was in power. The chief justice told them, “Do not bring the party’s matters before us.” Justice Athar Minallah asked what the impact was on the central government.
The chief justice also asked Imran Khan about the NAB’s budget report and asked him if he had anything else to say.
In a written order, the court asked NAB to provide a ten-year budget record and did not accept NAB’s lawyer’s answer. It was said that anyone could send an answer within seven days.
The chief justice said, “Transparency and accountability are paramount.” “We expect detailed records and clear answers.”
Chief Justice Isa had earlier said that keeping people who weren’t voted out of the NAB law is unfair.
Justice Athar Minallah asked why the NAB only has power over people who are chosen to public office and not people who are not elected. He also said that it was unfair that people who weren’t elected weren’t covered by the NAB rule.
It was said by Justice Athar Minallah that an elected official or relevant minister cannot make a report without the approval of the relevant Secretary. Does the Minister have to agree with something written in the report by a Secretary that says it’s against the rules? Officials in high positions should be brave enough to say it’s not true.
Chief Justice Isa said that the same group that had fought the law in the Supreme Court had also fought it in the High Court.
“Shoaib Shaheen challenged the law, Hameed Khan Sahib was his lawyer, the High Court had issued a notice, then why did he come to the us,” he said.
