The federal cabinet has approved the National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 which restricts National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) actions against government officers for procedural lapses in any government scheme or project, a move that is being seen as an attempt to save those responsible for Peshawar Bus Rapit Transit (BRT) fiasco.
According to the ordinance, only those government officers will face action who have been proved to gain financial benefits resulting from errors made by their department in government projects.
The ordinance will also prevent NAB from freezing the assets of government officers without a court order. The ordinance further calls for the transfer of such inquiries to relevant departments of taxation such as Federal Board of Revenue.
Previously, the accountability bureau could not partake in measures such as freezing of assets without substantial proof. The ordinance is yet to gain approval from the president of Pakistan, Dr Arif Alvi.
Journalist Arshad Sharif has claimed that this ordinance was being passed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to save their own. In a tweet, he alleged that this was being done to save those involved in the Peshawar BRT project. He questioned whether President Arif Alvi would rescue those being implicated in BRT corruption scam and other corruption investigations by signing the ordinance.
https://twitter.com/arsched/status/1210500356226113536?s=20
According to the ordinance, only those government officers will face action who have been proved to gain financial benefits resulting from errors made by their department in government projects.
The ordinance will also prevent NAB from freezing the assets of government officers without a court order. The ordinance further calls for the transfer of such inquiries to relevant departments of taxation such as Federal Board of Revenue.
Previously, the accountability bureau could not partake in measures such as freezing of assets without substantial proof. The ordinance is yet to gain approval from the president of Pakistan, Dr Arif Alvi.
Journalist Arshad Sharif has claimed that this ordinance was being passed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to save their own. In a tweet, he alleged that this was being done to save those involved in the Peshawar BRT project. He questioned whether President Arif Alvi would rescue those being implicated in BRT corruption scam and other corruption investigations by signing the ordinance.
https://twitter.com/arsched/status/1210500356226113536?s=20