Karachi (Sep 11, 2017): The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday adjourned hearing of a set of petitions filed against a law recently passed by Sindh Assembly repealing applicability of National Accountability Ordinance 1999 to departments and autonomous bodies controlled by Sindh government after Advocate General Sindh told the court the court was reviewing the controversial law.
A full bench of SHC headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh heard the petitions filed by opposition parties, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)–Pakistan, Pakistan Muslim League–Functional (PML-F), and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) challenging NAO 1999 Repeal Bill, 2017 (now Act).
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At the outset of the proceeding, Advocate General Zamir Gumru told the court that he had received direction from Chief Minister Sindh that the provincial government was reviewing the law repealing NAO 199.
He added that the provincial government was reviewing the law and it had power to do so. He pleaded the court not to pass any judgment on the petition as the government was reviewing the controversial law.
Upon the request of the AG Sindh, the court adjourned hearing of the petition for four weeks. The court also extended its interim order asking NAB to continue functioning in the provinces with its pending inquiries and investigation against bureaucrats, MPAs and other over corruption charges.
The law has stripped away NAB’s powers to take action against provincial government officials in Sindh.
NAB is presently probing into corruption charges against over 60 bureaucrats and politicians including Law Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, MPA Faqir Dad Khoso, Sharmila Farooqi, Sharjeel Memon, former chief secretary Siddiq Memon, Aijaz Chaudhry, former Member of Board of Revenue Shazar Shamoon, Secretary Badar Jameel, Ali Ahmed Lond, Managing Director Water Board Hashim Raza Zaidi, former Education Minister Pir Mazhar ul Haq, MNA Mir Munawar Talpur, MPA Ali Mardan Shah, former administrator Karachi Rauf Akhter, and Former Chairman Inter Board Anwar Zai.
In their petitions, the opposition parties’ leaders – MQM-Pakistan Convener Dr Farooq Sattar, PML-F MPA Nusrat Sehar Abbasi, and others – made the provincial chief secretary, Sindh Assembly secretary, home and law secretaries, NAB director-general and six accountability courts in the province as respondents.
The petitioners alleged that the PPP was engaged in corruption in the province and that the party’s leadership and bureaucrats serving under them were facing a number of investigations under the NAB ordinance. The opposition leaders argued that many more corruption cases could be filed in the future due to rampant corruption in Sindh.
The petitions state that PPP legislators bypassed the prescribed procedures to introduce and pass the NAO 1999 Repeal Bill, 2017 in the assembly, without permitting any discussion or debate by opposition members.
The petitioners requested the SHC to annul the act and ensure that the new law does not override or eclipse the inquiries launched or filed under the NAB ordinance.
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