Sanjrani issues NAB law amendment ordinance having enhanced physical remand

Sanjrani issues NAB law amendment ordinance having enhanced physical remand

Pakistan

The physical remand of suspect can now be extended up to 30 days

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – After the rumours of the federal government wanting to issue a presidential ordinance in order to amend the NAB (National Accountability Bureau) law, acting President Sadiq Sanjrani promulgated the amendeded ordinance in a midnight notification.

The Ministry of Law prepared a draft for the presidential ordinance, and the proposed NAB amendments were implemented through the presidential ordinance during the wee hours of Tuesday night. 

Sources said that the federal cabinet had also given nod to the amendments to the NAB law, under which the physical remand could now be extended up to 30 days. 

The draft of the presidential ordinance was promulgated by the acting president, and under the new amendments any individual found not cooperating with NAB under the new amendments would be arrested.

A notification signed by Mr Sanjrani stated, “The prime minister’s advice at para 6 of the summary is approved. The National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, is signed and promulgated.”

The ordinance signed around midnight also increased the duration of physical remand from 15 days to 30 days. Under a recent amendment by the sitting government to the National Accountability Ordinance 1999, the duration of physical remand had been reduced from 90 days to 14 days.

-- NAB summons PTI chief --

The NAB Rawalpindi has also summoned former prime minister and the PTI chairman and his wife Bushra Bibi today (Tuesday) in two different cases.

The PTI chief is directed to appear before the watchdog in the Toshakhana case and Bushra Bibi in a £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) UK settlement case.