ISLAMABAD The National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance of 2010 was promulgated in a clandestine manner, as not only the legal community and the nation were unaware but the top officials in the Law Ministry also knew nothing about it. Law Secretary Masood Chishti while talking to TheNation expressed his complete ignorance and said, I dont know any such Ordinance has ever been issued. He, however, said that the Ordinance was promulgated when the National Assembly and the Senate were not in sessions. The President is only allowed to issue the Ordinance when there was no session of the Parliament, he said. The indecent haste shrouded in secrecy with which powers of NAB Chairman, who is yet to be appointed after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, have been transferred to the Law Minister may lend credence to the view that the Government is not serious about accountability. The session of the Parliament had already been called when the National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance of 2010 was promulgated i.e. on September 16. The legal fraternity has a view that through this Ordinance the Government wants clash with the judiciary. Its their opinion that the manner of bringing about changes in the existing National Accountability Law through promulgation of an ordinance as well as the changes themselves is not right. Senator Zafar Ali Shah Advocate told TheNation that it was the presidential prerogative to promulgate ordinances, but it should be exercised with extreme caution and only when it has justifiable reasons. He said that the issuance of Ordinance amounted to assuming legislative power, which were exclusive domain of the Parliament. Norms of parliamentary system of governance dictate that this presidential prerogative should be used sparingly, and must not be used when Parliament is in session or is already called to hold its session. Ikram Chaudhry said that through this Ordinance the Government wanted to get decisions of its own choice from the Accountability Courts. He said the Law Ministry wanted to bring NAB under its control in order to destroy this institution further. There are so many lying in the accountability courts. He demanded that this Ordinance should be brought into the Supreme Court. Justice (Retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed termed the Ordinance against the democratic culture, saying the step would further weaken the democracy in the country. He said that he didnt know who were advising President Asif Ali Zardari on legal issues. Transferring NAB powers to the Law Ministry was unconstitutional.