ISLAMABAD: After the Supreme Court delivered its verdict on Friday in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendment case, NAB Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed Butt called for a consultative meeting to plan the next steps.
According to sources, the NAB Prosecution Division will provide a comprehensive briefing to meeting participants on Monday regarding the apex court’s decision to invalidate certain amendments in the NAB law.
The apex court has reinstated all closed inquiries initiated by the anti-graft body and has mandated the revival of all corruption cases involving less than Rs500 million against political leaders from various parties and public office holders, deeming the amendments null and void.
Additionally, the court has instructed the NAB to return all case records to the relevant courts within seven days.
However, a potential issue has emerged due to the recent resignation of Prosecutor General Accountability Justice (PGA) retired Syed Asghar Haider.
In response to the PGA’s absence, the NAB chairman has temporarily assigned Additional Prosecutor General Akbar Tarar with the acting charge until a new prosecutor general is appointed.
Sources indicate that the NAB Prosecution Division has meticulously reviewed the details of over 2,000 cases. These cases include those at the reference stage, complaint verifications, inquiries, and investigations, to be reinstated following the apex court’s decision.
According to sources, among these cases, 755 were returned at the inquiry stage, 292 were at the investigation stage. 510 of the returned cases involved amounts less than Rs500 million.
Furthermore, 168 cases related to assets beyond known sources of income, 213 cases aligned with Section 9A, and 89 cases, which involved fraud, are likely to be reopened.
