Which law permits NAB to plea bargain with accused, asks SHC

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday reserved a judgment on a petition of a government official about the rejection of his plea bargain request by the accountability court. Hearing the petition of Mohammad Asif  in a corruption case, SHC’s division bench headed by Chief Justice Sindh High Court Ahmed Ali M Sheikh inquired from the petitioner’s counsel that under which law the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) conducted plea bargain with the accused. He submitted that NAB had allowed plea bargain of several employees involved in Punjab Bank corruption case besides there were provisions of plea bargain in NAB Ordinance. The court observed that Supreme Court while taking notice of the plea bargain issue had termed it ultra vires of the Constitution. The court after hearing the arguments of the counsel reserved the judgment.