ISLAMABAD - National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice gave approval to the Holder of Public Office (Accountability) Act-2009 with majority vote, however the members belonging to Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) wrote dissenting note as three of their proposals were turned down by the Committee. The bill was now sent to the National Assembly Secretariat for legislation, the Chairperson of the Committee Begum Nasim Akhtar Chaudhry said on conclusion of the deliberations of the Committee. Begum Nasim Akhtar Chaudhry took strong notice of the Federal Minister for Law and Justices absence and said that the Committee was deliberating upon a very sensitive legal issue and Federal Law Minister and State Minister for Law should ensure their presence in the Committees meeting in future and warned that in case they would not turn up in the future meetings, she would not hold the meeting and would take up the matter at the appropriate forum. The bill was reviewed clause wise. The Committee approved to amend section 18(A) of Registration Act-1908, to make the attestation of legal documents by a practicing lawyer was made mandatory. The lawyer should be member of a bar council and fee would be determined by the National Assembly. The Committee unanimously approved where a woman accused of an offence is refused bail under the forgoing proviso, she shall be released on bail if she has been detained for a continuous period of six months and whose trial for such an offence has not been concluded. The Committee rejected the amendment proposed by PML-N in clause 25 of Accountability Commission Bill-2009. The amendment proposed by PML-N in clause 26 regarding withdrawal of immunity given to public representatives with reference to accountability was also rejected by the Committee members. The members of Committee Saeed Ahmad Zafar, Riaz Fatiana and Shakila Khanam raised objection that NAB ordinance was also being used for political vendetta and if immunity was withdrawn then no one would be ready to even think of doing any work of public interest as every one would fear that he would have to face the cases if he gave job to any body or did the job of public welfare. The Committee also decided with majority that a serving or retired judge of SC or an advocate who is capable of becoming judge of the SC could be appointed as chairman of Accountability Commission. Anosha Rehman of PML-N opposed it saying that only serving judge of Supreme Court should be inducted as chairman of the commission. The Committee expressed grave concern over absence of the Law Minister in the meeting saying if the Minister did not attend meeting of standing committee in future, the meeting would not be held.