The Supreme Court has issued a majority verdict ordering the restoration of corruption cases against public officials that were previously withdrawn after changes were made to the country’s accountability laws. This decision comes in response to a petition filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan in 2022, challenging the amendments made to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance.
Imran Khan claimed that the amendments were made to benefit influential individuals and legitimize corruption. The changes included reducing the term of the NAB chairman and prosecutor general, limiting NAB’s jurisdiction, and transferring ongoing cases to relevant authorities.
CJP Bandial and Justice Ahsan deemed Imran’s plea to be maintainable, while Justice Shah disagreed with the majority verdict. The court had reserved its verdict in September after 53 hearings, with the judges debating the power of parliament to enact retrospective legislation.
Imran’s petition argued that the amendments allowed for the scrapping of corruption cases against top officials and made it difficult for the prosecution to prove fictitious ownership of properties. The petition highlighted that these changes deprived citizens of the opportunity to hold their elected representatives accountable.
More details are expected to follow on this matter.
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