MPs body decides to replace NAB with NAC

Islamabad

The Parliamentary Committee on National Accountability Laws on Wednesday approved the proposal of granting sweeping powers to the Chairman of the proposed National Accountability Commission (NAC) to make a decision whether to close any corruption inquiry or re-open the investigation of the closed corruption case on the basis of the report of the investigation agency, which would be formed under the new accountability law.

The separate investigation agency will be on the pattern of Federal Investigation Authority and it will investigate all the corruption related cases and all the cases of the NAB will be sent to the proposed investigation agency instead of the FIA.

The meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Accountability Law was held here on Wednesday with the chair of Law Minister Zahid Hamid in which the anti-corruption laws and mechanism for new anti-corruption body was discussed. The committee completed review of 24 clauses out of 55 clauses of the proposed bill for the new accountability body—NAC.

It was agreed in the meeting that the proposed Agency would complete its investigation against any corruption charges within mandatory 60-days and to present it to National Accountability Commission.

Following receiving the investigation report from its investigation agency within a mandatory time period of 60-daysand the NAC will make a decision about filing a corruption reference in the accountability courts. Chairman NAC would be competent to make a decision whether to close a corruption inquiry or re-open the investigation of the closed corruption case on the report of the its investigation agency, which would be formed under the new accountability law.

It was also proposed in the meeting of the Committee that the accused in the corruption and white collar crime will have a right to defend himself as per provided in the criminal laws. It is all but agreed in principle to disband the NAB and to replace it with NAC with new institutional structure and also with complete financial and administrative independence on the pattern of Election Commission of Pakistan and superior judiciary.

The Parliamentary Committee on National Accountability Law also approved the proposal in principle to establish its own investigative agency “Accountability Investigation Agency’ (AIA) on the pattern of the Federal Investigation Agency to investigate the corruption and loot and plunder related to white collar crimes. The Committee also approved the proposal under which the parliamentarians, as well as bureaucrats will also file their assets details regularly.

Under the proposed law of the NAC, the consultation between the prime minister and the opposition leader is necessary for the appointment of chairman and deputy chairman of the NAC and after the completion of consultation, these appointments would be sent to parliamentary Committee for confirmation.

Under the proposed law, the chairman and deputy chairman of the NAC will only be removed through Judicial Council.  It was also proposed that the tenure of chairman and deputy chairman would be 3 years and there would be no extension in their tenure,

The Committee had already approved the proposal for the life term disqualification from holding public office for those who availed the voluntary return and made a plea bargain under the new accountability laws.