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NAB to get legal cover in reform package
ISLAMABAD, Jan 30: The NAB will get a legal cover in the package of reforms expected to be unveiled before the forthcoming general elections.
“The government is looking into it,” National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Lt-Gen Munir Hafeez said answering a question at a briefing.
He said the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) was finalizing a constitutional package and the NAB would present its recommendations as and when sought by the NRB.
The idea of legal cover had been floated during the tenure of previous NAB chief Khalid Maqbool who had given a briefing on the proposal so that an institution to check the white colour crime in the country could be set up.
The history of legislation in Pakistan with regard to corruption dates back to 1949 when the first law — Public and Representative Officer Disqualification Act— for prevention of corruption was enacted, and then the Elective Bodies Disqualification Order and Prevention of Misconduct Law were enforced in 1954 and 1977 respectively.
Later, PML government promulgated the Ehtesab Ordinance in 1996, under which an office of the chief ehtesab commissioner was created and a retired judge was appointed for the purpose of inquiry, investigation and prosecution with regard to offences of corruption and corrupt practices.
In 1997 the Ehtesab Ordinance was replaced with the Ehtesab Act and office of the chairman ehtesab cell was established and former senator Saif-ur-Rehmana, a close aide to the then prime minister, was appointed as the ehtesab cell chief.
The present government after taking over in October 1999, disbanded the ehtesab cell and converted the Ehtesab Commission into the National Accountability Bureau through promulgation of the NAB Ordinance.
At present around 800 people are employed in the NAB, which has so far investigated 1,067 cases of corruption out of which 403 cases have already been filed in the courts.
The NAB officials informed that in a number of countries anti-corruption institutions and organizations were working on permanent basis. Anti-corruption establishment in Britain was called the Serious Fraud Office, in Singapore they had the ICAC.
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