SC allows Imran to appear in court via video link in NAB amendments case

The Supreme Court (SC) granted permission to incarcerated former premier Imran Khan to appear before the court via video link in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendments case. A five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa presided over the hearing concerning the federal government's intra-court appeal (ICA) against the majority judgment declaring the amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 2002 illegal. Other members of the larger bench included Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minallah, and Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi. The proceedings were live telecasted on the apex court's website. At the outset of the hearing, both the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor general and the lawyer representing the Punjab government stated that they would adhere to the federal government's arguments in the case. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) advocate general however maintained that they would support the decision regarding the nullification of the NAB amendments. Justice Aminuddin Khan remarked that the issue was related to NAB's involvement in political engineering, and told the court that the former premier had requested to appear in court in his personal capacity. "If he wishes to present evidence via video link, he may do so," he noted. The court directed the attorney general to ensure an operational video link set up for the former PM's arguments. Justice Athar Minallah commented that when NAB ordinances were introduced, the government including Imran supported them. Read SC to hear govt’s NAB amendment appeal He said that during that time it was said that NAB was responsible for affecting the economy and fundamental rights. The court noted that the amendments made to NAB laws in parliament were in light of ordinances from previous administrations and judicial decisions and emphasized that the purpose of the amendments was to safeguard the fundamental rights of individuals falsely accused by the accountability watchdog. "NAB has been unsuccessful in curbing corruption and has been implicated in political engineering," Justice Minallah regretted. The bench questioned whether action could be taken against NAB if someone was proven innocent and highlighted the injustices people have faced due to NAB's actions. CJP Isa inquired whether NAB compromised all laws. He likened NAB's actions to martial law, noting that NAB laws were enacted swiftly, while problems arise when democratic governments enact laws. "How much does NAB spend and recover annually?" the CJP inquired. The apex court postponed the hearing until May 16 after requesting details from the accountability watchdog regarding the number of politicians proven innocent and imprisoned, as well as the details about the incarceration of politicians. The same bench heard the matter last on October 31, 2023. The larger bench in its Oct 31 order asked the accountability courts to proceed with trials but refrained them from announcing the final judgment. Imran challenged the amendments to the NAB laws on June 25, 2022, arguing that the tweaks would pave the way for public officeholders to get away with white-collar crimes. The apex court by a majority of 2-1 declared the amendments to NAO 2000 as unconstitutional. It had ordered the reopening of all corruption cases worth less than Rs500 million that were previously closed against political leaders from various parties and public office holders.

from Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/iEF1QVP