Zardari,Nawzaz,Abbasi ,Dar among 80 to face reopened NAB cases

NAB sends back references to courts after SC verdict,

ISLAMABAD  – In light of the Supreme Court’s judgment last Friday annulling the amendments to NAB laws, the accountability watchdog has chosen to reopen the cases against at least 80 persons, including former president Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

In this respect, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) authorities reportedly approached the Islamabad accountability court through a letter on Wednesday, seeking to reopen the cases against 80 individuals. The NAB will present the relevant record to the accountability court within a day or two.

These decisions were taken during an emergency meeting of the NAB held Thursday to consult the implementation of the apex court’s verdict given last week.

Sources said the record of all the important cases would be compiled and submitted to the Islamabad accountability court. 

The cases of several big guns, including former president Asif Ali Zardari and former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Yousuf Raza Gilani stand restored after the apex court’s landmark verdict.

According to sources, the NAB is restoring the cases against 80 persons, including former president Asif Ali Zardari, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former Sindh chief minister Murad Ali Shah, former finance minister Ishaq Dar, former premier Yousaf Raza Gillani and former National Assembly speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf.

It is important to mention here that Asif Zardari’s fake account case, Raja Rervez Ashraf’s rental power plant case will be reopened. Besides, the cases registered against Nawaz Sharif, Asif Zardari and Yousaf Raza Gillani for retaining the cars gifted to them by different foreign states and dignitaries instead of depositing them in the Toshakhana will also be reopened.

Earlier,

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday struck down amendments made to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws as it announced its reserved verdict on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman’s plea,

In a majority 2-1 verdict, the top court approved Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s petition challenging amendments made to the country’s accountability laws during the tenure of the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government.

The three-member bench, headed by CJP Umar Ata Bandial, and comprising Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ijazul Ahsan reserved the judgment on the hearing on September 5.

CJP Bandial and Justice Ahsan declared Imran’s plea to be maintainable while Justice Shah disagreed with the verdict.

The top court also restored graft cases against public office holders that were closed down following the amendments to NAB laws.

Following the verdict, the references against some of the country’s political bigwigs will once again land in the accountability courts.

These include the Toshakhana reference against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Supremo Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, LNG reference against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, rental power reference against former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and assets beyond means case against former finance minister Ishaq Dar.

In June 2022, the former premier had moved the apex court against amendments made to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance under the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Act 2022.