Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said that under the directions of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Laws Review Committee has proposed amendments in Section 15 and substitution of Section 25 of National Accountability Ordinance, 1999. Dar, who is also chairman of Laws Review Committee, told a press conference that with the approval of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as well as the federal cabinet, the government has decided to immediately promulgate the National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, to give an immediate effect to the aforementioned amendments.He said the Ordinance will be laid in the Senate session. Prior to the promulgation of the National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, NAO contains provisions for voluntary return and plea bargain. “The ordinance will impose a lifetime ban on public office holders and civil servants who have benefited from the NAB”s plea bargain and voluntary return laws,” Dar said.He said the ordinance will come into force from Saturday midnight and will be implementable without any delay,” adding the ordinance also proposes that plea bargain would be subject to approval by the court. The government, Dar added, decided to immediately introduce the ordinance as the introduction of a bill in this regard could delay the matter.He said the provision for plea bargain required approval of the court but disqualification to hold a public office was for a period for ten years only, accordingly, the Laws Review Committee has proposed certain amendments.Furthermore, in accordance with unanimous motions passed by the National Assembly and Senate, the Speaker National Assembly in consultation with the Chairman Senate and leaders of the parliamentary parties has constituted a 20-member parliamentary committee comprising 13 MNAs and 07 Senators “to revisit the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 and recommend necessary amendments therein.”Amending the accountability ordinance can be termed as a first step in this direction.It has taken following harshcriticism and concerns expressed by different quarters including the Supreme Court over these controversial provisions which allowed corrupt individuals to go free and return to their posts after returning some portion of the plundered amount. We hope that slapping the lifetime ban on corrupt officials and politicians will also serve the same purpose but entering into any sort of plea bargain procedure is contrary to the requirements of justice. This plea bargain provision should totally be abolished and apart from slapping lifetime ban, those indulged in corruption and looting the national wealth should also face imprisonment keeping in view the level of corruption they have committed. Bureaucrats and politicians involved in corruption of billions of rupees also deserve lifetime imprisonment. More stringent measures are needed to curb the menace of corruption. We hope parliament play due role in removing the lacunas in this ordinance and would made it more effective. Without eliminating corruption from the society and the institutions of the country the dream of progress and prosperity cannot be materialised.
