In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has reinstated the changes made to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws, accepting the federal government’s appeal against the court’s previous verdict. The decision, announced on Friday by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, overturns the Sept 15, 2023, ruling that had invalidated these amendments.
The original case stemmed from a petition filed by PTI founder Imran Khan in 2022, challenging the amendments introduced by the then PML-N-led government. These changes included reducing the term of the NAB chairman and prosecutor general to three years and limiting NAB’s jurisdiction to cases involving over Rs500 million. The amendments were seen by some as an attempt to shield high-profile politicians from corruption inquiries.
In today’s ruling, the Supreme Court emphasized the role of parliament in legislation and noted that the judiciary should not act as a “gatekeeper” of laws passed by elected representatives. It further ruled that Imran Khan’s petition failed to prove that the amendments violated the Constitution.
The court’s decision effectively transfers all pending investigations under NAB to the appropriate authorities and upholds the broader legislative authority of the parliament in modifying anti-corruption measures.
