ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan Wednesday removed the Registrar Office’s objections on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan’s petition against the amendments in the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999.
A single-member bench of the apex court comprising Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan conducted hearing of Imran Khan’s appeal against the objections of Registrar Office in the chamber. Imran Khan’s counsel appeared before the court. The judge overruled the objections after hearing the arguments, and ordered to number the petition and fix it for hearing in open court.
Earlier, the apex court’s registrar office had raised five objections against the PTI’s petition and stated that the petitioner had not highlighted what matters of public importance were involved in the enforcement of fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution so as to directly invoke the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under Article 184(3).
PTI chief had filed the petition on June 25 under Article 184(3) of the Constitution , challenging the amendments brought in the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 through National Accountability (Amendment) Act (XI of) 2022, and cited federation and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as respondents.
The petition stated, “By virtue of the impugned amendments, not only all the cases of the category mentioned in Section 4(2)(b) of the NAO, 1999, pending trial against, inter alia the ministers, chief ministers, prime ministers, and president stand virtually terminated.”
The petition further said that the blanket immunity from prosecution given to officials of all regulatory bodies, such as NEPRA, SECP, the Competition Commission of Pakistan, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, regarding all matters decided by them, is also unreasonable, unconstitutional and against the very concept of accountability.
A single-member bench of the apex court comprising Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan conducted hearing of Imran Khan’s appeal against the objections of Registrar Office in the chamber. Imran Khan’s counsel appeared before the court. The judge overruled the objections after hearing the arguments, and ordered to number the petition and fix it for hearing in open court.
Earlier, the apex court’s registrar office had raised five objections against the PTI’s petition and stated that the petitioner had not highlighted what matters of public importance were involved in the enforcement of fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution so as to directly invoke the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under Article 184(3).
PTI chief had filed the petition on June 25 under Article 184(3) of the Constitution , challenging the amendments brought in the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 through National Accountability (Amendment) Act (XI of) 2022, and cited federation and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as respondents.
The petition stated, “By virtue of the impugned amendments, not only all the cases of the category mentioned in Section 4(2)(b) of the NAO, 1999, pending trial against, inter alia the ministers, chief ministers, prime ministers, and president stand virtually terminated.”
The petition further said that the blanket immunity from prosecution given to officials of all regulatory bodies, such as NEPRA, SECP, the Competition Commission of Pakistan, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, regarding all matters decided by them, is also unreasonable, unconstitutional and against the very concept of accountability.