Minister for Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Babar Awan on Friday laid National Accountability (amendment) Ordinance, 2010 (Ordinance No. XVIII of 2010), in the Senate as required by clause (2) of Article 89 of the Constitution.Deputy Chairman of Senate Jan Jamali referred the ordinance to the committee for further consideration. However, Zafar Ali Shah and Professor Khurshid raised objections on the ordinance.They said the ordinance was presented after a delay of 15 days, adding that the President signed the ordinance on Sept 16.They further said the Minister had also not made it public, neither it was published in the Gazette of Pakistan nor in media.
They said the Minister for Law deliberately presented the bill in the House at the time when it was being prorogated so that it could not be debated.
The Law Minister responding to the objections raised by the senators, said that the ordinance was published in the Gazette of Pakistan on Sept 16 which means it was made public.
He said it was unfair that the two senators alleged that the government and he had malafide intentions regarding the bill and so the bill was presented so late.
He said the two senators did not read the ordinance and made their remarks without having knowledge.
Dr. Awan said after the constitution of Islamabad High Court it became obligatory to form accountability court and this provision exits in the constitution.
He said under the ordinance the government would provide protection to witnesses, public prosecutors and judges for free and fair justice.
He questioned that how he would get benefit from it? If somebody have objections on it he may give his suggestions to the committee, he added.
He further said that the government earlier presented the bill in the House and the chair gave ruling that an amendment should be proposed to stop the commission system in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the same thing was included in the ordinance.
He said under the ordinance NAB officers would not get commission in any case. “What is against the justice in it?,” he again questioned.
Awan said the two senators wrongly said that the federal government was taking the power of appointing the chairman of accountability.
He said there was nothing like this in the ordinance and the two senators made their statements without going through the ordinance.
