KARACHI: The federal ministry of law and justice on Wednesday informed the Sindh High Court that framing of the National Accountability Rules mainly related to the National Accountability Bureau and since it was an independent department the ministry cannot interfere in its affairs.

A deputy attorney general filed the comments of law ministry in a petition seeking formation of rules under the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.

The ministry in its reply further submitted that it was not involved in framing NAB rules and performed functions as per rules of business to the extent of vetting the proposed rules.

It argued that the subject matter related to NAB, which had already been cited as the necessary party in the petition.

The petitioner also filed documents containing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of NAB approved in 2015.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro adjourned the matter till April 14 after both sides sought time to go through the newly submitted documents.

The petitioner submitted that he would file a copy of the United Nation Convention against Corruption.

On the last hearing, the bench had expressed resentment over an inordinate delay in framing the rules. A deputy attorney general stated that the framing of rules had been delayed due to the second amendment in the NAB Ordinance and assured the bench that rules would be framed and notified within one month.

Earlier, the SHC had sought a report from the law ministry about approval of the draft of the National Accountability Rules after the anti-graft watchdog in a statement stated that the draft of NAB Rules was still under scrutiny at the ministry of law & justice.

A lawyer had moved the SHC in 2020 stating that the NAB Ordinance was promulgated in 1999 and despite the passage of over 20 years its rules as required under Section 34 of the ordinance to carry out the purposes of the ordinance had not been framed.

The petitioner further submitted that neither NAB had framed the rules nor the same were notified in the official gazette for public information.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2022