ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan Monday directed the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf counsel to satisfy the court that the amendments in the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999 are in violation of the fundamental rights and the breach of the constitutional provisions.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah conducted hearing of the constitutional petition of PTI Chairman Imran Khan against the amendments in the NAO 1999.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice asked from the PTI counsel that though you have referred the NAB reports showing how much amount has to be recovered, which was agreed in the voluntary return and plea bargain, but ultimately you would have to show that which fundamental rights are violated and in breach of the constitutional provisions.
Justice Bandial asked Khawaja Haris, Imran Khan counsel, that you are saying that under the Amnesty Scheme people declared amounts and they were given tax
exemption. He further asked him that you are saying they have admitted the amount they made, but not disclosed source of their income, and yet they got off scot free.
Khawaja Haris argued that after the amendments the accused person who agreed to make payment as a result of plea bargain, would stop paying the installments and ask the NAB to pay the amount, which he had already paid in the arrangement.
Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan remarked that it means in view of the amendments the remaining amount will not be recovered. He said that if this happens then the economy will suffer. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said that there is no mention in the amendment that the amount recovered would have to be returned. He said that money would remain with the government. He asked from the counsel that till now youe arguments are based on speculations.
Earlier, Kh Haris argued that after the amendments many references have been returned to the NAB. He cited the NAB Annual Reports of 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 to show how much amount is agreed in voluntary return and plea bargain, and how money is recovered.