The government on Thursday proposed important changes to National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999, reported Geo News.
According to the proposed bill, only federal departments and their employees would fall under the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) jurisdiction.
The anti-corruption watchdog’s chairman and director general would be liable to consult the prosecutor general for any arrests, the bill proposed.
Sources further said that the bill, if approved, would bar NAB from freezing assets of any under-investigation suspect.
In February, the Punjab Assembly (PA) expressed concern over the arrest of former Lahore Development Authority Director General (DG) Ahad Cheema. The provincial assembly demanded of the federal government to amend NAO 1999 to prohibit the use of “illegal powers”.
“Harassing senior officials, insulting them, highlighting their names in media, and doing character assassination on the part of NAB is illegal and unethical,” read the resolution passed by the provincial assembly.
The resolution, which was presented by Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, had urged all institutions, including NAB to ensure upholding of basic human rights and ethical values in accordance with the constitution. It had also asked the federal government to take measures to discuss the issue in the parliament.
The provincial government had also demanded to eliminate the plea bargain clause from the ordinance.