QUETTA: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has reopened corruption cases against 65 accused including three former chief ministers (CMs) of Balochistan, ARY News reported on Thursday.
The anti-corruption watchdog submitted records of all corruption references against the 65 accused persons to the court.
Sources told ARY News that NAB Balochistan restarted probe into more than 30 corruption cases. Several parliamentarians and senior government officers will be included in the investigation after the move, sources added.
The corruption cases included the probe against senior officers of NHA, Customs, QDA, Revenue officers, Mines and Minerals, PDMA, food and health departments.
Moreover, the anti-graft watchdog has also launched an investigation into corruption charges against several housing societies, sources added.
Nawaz, Shehbaz cases
Earlier, it emerged that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is likely to reopen cases against PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif after the Supreme Court (SC) verdict.
According to sources, the NAB will reopen the Ramzan sugar mill case against the former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and the plot allotment case against the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.
Sources said that NAB will also reopen the cases against other political bigwigs and bureaucracy including Rana Mashhood, and former VC Punjab University Mujahid Kamran.
The Paragon Housing Society case against former federal minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq and Salman Rafiq and the misuse of powers case against the Ex-Speaker Punjab assembly Sabtain Khan is also expected to reopen.
Earlier, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) sent back references against politicians to accountability courts after Supreme Court struck down some sections of the amendments made to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) last year.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Supreme Court ordered restoration of corruption cases against public representatives as it struck down some sections of the amendments made to the country’s accountability laws last year by the previous coalition government.
Read more: NAB sends back references to courts after SC verdict
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.
Former CJP Bandial and Justice Ahsan declared Imran’s plea to be maintainable while Justice Shah disagreed with the verdict.
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 moved the apex court against amendments made to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance under the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Act 2022.
NAB law amendment
The NAB (Second Amendment) Bill 2021 states that NAB’s deputy chairman, to be appointed by the federal government, would become the acting chairman of the bureau following the completion of the tenure of the chairman.
The bill has also reduced the four-year term of the NAB chairman. After approval of the law, NAB will not be able to act on federal, provincial or local tax matters.
It has also set a three-year term for the judges of the accountability courts. Under the proposed law, it has been made binding upon NAB to ensure the availability of evidence against an accused prior to his or her arrest.
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