ISLAMABAD: Amid debate that who will be the main beneficiary of recently promulgated National Accountability (second amendment) Ordinance, 2019, politicians and bureaucrats facing corruption references have started seeking relief under it from accountability courts.

Abdul Ghani Majeed, a principal accused in the fake bank accounts and money laundering case, which is also being tried against former president Asif Ali Zardari, and senior leader of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Liaquat Ali Jatoi, are among those who have sought acquittal under the ordinance.

Interestingly, according to the agenda of the National Assembly the ordinance is being laid today (Friday) along with five other ordinances in the form of bills. They will be sent to the relevant standing committee where the government and opposition will debate on them.

According to an official document available with Dawn, one dozen accused in different but already filed references have filed applications before the Accountability Court, Islamabad, seeking acquittal as they pleaded that “the new NAB ordinance has provided relief to the public office holders”.

Govt, opposition leaders discuss five bills

However, filing of such applications by the accused facing references has created resentment in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and its legal team is preparing its future line of action to counter the appeals of the accused persons.

According to the document, Abdul Ghani Majeed and his wife Minahil Majeed have sought acquittal in the fake bank accounts case. PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, former chief minister Qaim Ali Shah, provincial minister Anwar Siyal and Bahria Town owner Malik Riaz are among 172 accused in the case.

A number of arrests have already been made in this case, including those of Asif Zardari and Faryal Talpur.

According to a senior NAB official, it is believed that if Abdul Ghani Majeed, a director of Omni Group, and his son Anwar Majeed receive relief in the case all other accused in it will also get acquittals.

One of the accused in this case, former director of the Special Initiative Department, Sindh, Hassan Ali Memon has also filed an application on Jan 8 for acquittal.

The document says Liaquat Jatoi has also filed an application for closing the reference in which former prime minister Shaukat Aziz has also been nominated.

Mr Jatoi, who has served as chief minister of Sindh, is wanted in a reference pertaining to illegal appointments in the Alternative Energy Development Board, along with Shaukat Aziz.

Shumaila Mehmood and Masood Chishti, who are among seven accused in the Nandipur Power Plant reference, have also filed appeals. PTI leader Dr Babar Awan has already been acquitted in this case.

Media reports said former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was also indicted in the reference that is related to the delay in setting up of the power plant, causing a loss of Rs27 billion to the national kitty.

Senior bureaucrat Shaukat Fiaz Tareen has filed an appeal to get relief under the new NAB ordinance.

Former top official of Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation Rasool Bakhsh Phulpoto, Riaz Ahmed and Abid Saeed have also filed appeals.

Former director general of NAB Punjab Khursheed Anwar Bhinder, who was terminated from service several years ago on the charges of corruption, filed an appeal on Jan 3.

Former IG Sindh Ghulam Shabbir, who was accused of misuse of authority, filed an application with the accountability court on Jan 3.

Govt-Opposition meeting

The second round of talks between the government and the opposition on five bills took place in the Parliament House on Thursday. Speaker Asad Qaiser presided over the meeting that was attended by the leaders of the PTI, PPP and PML-N.

“The meeting observed that the bills could be passed unanimously,” said Minster for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, who attended the meeting, told Dawn.

He said another meeting specifically on the National Accountability (second amendment) Ordinance, 2019, would be held on Monday.

The minister said the two sides would try to unanimously make legislation on the basis of recently promulgated five ordinances which were withdrawn on the insistence of the opposition and it was decided that they would be converted into bills and before being presented before the parliament for passage.

The bills are: Letters of Administration and Succession Certificates Ordinance, 2019, Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Ordinance, 2019, Legal Aid and Justice Authority Ordinance, 2019, Superior Courts (Court Dress and Mode of Address) Ordinance, 2019 and the National Accountability (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

On Dec 27, President Dr Arif Alvi had promulgated an ordinance making some significant amendments to the NAB law to give protection to bureaucrats and businessmen.

The National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 has been amended after complains that the government officers have refused to sign official files due to NAB scare.

The business community has also complained that due to NAB’s undue actions, businessmen and industrialists are reluctant to make any investment or take new initiatives.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2020