Courts to Revert References to NAB Following SC Verdict
ISLAMABAD: In the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on NAB amendments, numerous references are expected to be redirected from Accountability Courts back to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), according to ARY News sources.
Reports indicate that approximately 170 out of 189 references from Peshawar’s accountability courts will be transferred to NAB. These references involve cases related to money laundering, corruption, and illegal assets valued at less than Rs 50 crore.
NAB’s four courts will retain about 10 references for further hearings, including high-profile cases such as those involving former federal minister Arbab Alamgir and his wife Asma Alamgir, as well as former KP minister Sher Azam Wazir. Some cases, including those related to the BRT scandal and other corruption issues, will also remain with NAB. Specific cases, such as the one involving former IG KPK Malik Naveed, will be handled in the accountability court, while others, like former Secretary Welfare Board Tariq Awan’s case, will not be transferred to NAB.
Additionally, a new reference is expected to be filed against Hasan Rafaq in the BRT scandal.
Yesterday, the Supreme Court reinstated the NAB amendments law, granting the federal government’s review plea. The verdict, delivered by a five-member bench led by Justice Qazi Faez Isa and with an additional note from Justice Athar Minallah, was issued with a 5-0 majority. The Court stated that detailed information about the decision would be provided later.
The federal and provincial governments had previously filed intra-court appeals against the ruling declaring the NAB amendments unconstitutional. The Supreme Court had reserved its decision on the federal government’s appeal on June 6.
