Federal Constitutional Court NAB Ruling: SC Says New Forum for NAB Appeals

The Federal Constitutional Court NAB matters have taken a major turn. Pakistan’s Supreme Court has said it can no longer hear appeals or bail requests tied to National Accountability Bureau cases. This includes PTI founder Imran Khan’s appeal in the £190 million reference.

A three-judge bench led by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar gave this important ruling. The Justice Mazhar NAB ruling settles a key question about where NAB appeals and bail pleas should now be filed.

The bench made it clear. Going forward, the Federal Constitutional Court is the only proper forum for such cases under the updated accountability law.

Judges Studied Law Before Deciding

The bench did not rush this decision. Judges carefully studied recent changes to NAB laws. They also looked closely at Articles 175A and 175F of the Constitution.

Section 32 of the National Accountability Ordinance was reviewed too. After this study, the court ordered all pending NAB matters to move to the Constitutional Court.

This means future final appeals in NAB cases will also go there. The Supreme Court will no longer be the last stop for such matters.

Imran Khan £190 Million Reference Case Shifts Forum

Among the biggest cases affected is the Imran Khan £190 million reference. His request to suspend his sentence was originally filed in the Supreme Court.

That plea will now move to the Federal Constitutional Court instead. A related chamber appeal, filed after registrar objections, follows the same path.

Some lawyers pointed to an earlier case. They said the Supreme Court had granted bail in a NAB matter even after the law changed.

Judges responded carefully. They noted NAB itself never objected to jurisdiction in that case. Only NAB, the bench said, could explain that silence.

The court added something important here. Jurisdiction comes from the law itself, not from whether any party raises an objection.

Allowing the Supreme Court to keep bail powers, judges said, would go against what lawmakers intended.

This ruling did not appear from nowhere. Back in March, the federal government amended NAB laws. Those changes named the Federal Constitutional Court as the final appellate forum.

Friday’s ruling simply confirms and enforces that earlier change. It closes the door on any confusion about where NAB cases belong.

The full written judgement has not been released yet. Legal experts expect it to explain the reasoning in greater depth.

Until then, one thing is settled. Every pending and future NAB appeal, including bail pleas, now belongs to the Federal Constitutional Court.

This shift is expected to reshape how accountability cases move through Pakistan’s courts. Lawyers, politicians, and the public will be watching closely as the new system takes shape.