ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice is meeting on Monday to take up a heavy legislative agenda that includes bills related to judiciary, bar associations and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The committee, headed by Chaudhry Mahmood Bashir Virk, according to the meeting agenda, is scheduled to take up nine private member’s bills, including one constitution amendment bill.

There are “five chronologically pending bills” — four of them seeking amendments to various sections of NAB Ordinance 1999 — on the agenda of the committee, according to a meeting notice issued by the National Assembly Secretariat.

The committee will take up a constitution amendment bill, moved by PML-N MNA Raza Hayat Harraj, seeking insertion of a new sub-article 63-B in the Constitution suggesting disqualification of a person from service in Pakistan, including members of armed forces, judiciary and legislatures, if he maintains a foreign bank account, holds an office of profit or interest in any foreign company or organisation or carries out business or commercial activity in any foreign country whether in his own name or in the name of his spouse, children and dependents.

The bill, which was submitted in March last year has acquired significance after revelations by Panama Papers Leaks about the offshore companies owned by the children of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

It will be interesting to see, if Mr Harraj, who also belongs to the ruling PML-N, will press for his bill or will seek deferment.

Another important bill which the NA committee is scheduled to review is a new accountability law titled “Holders of Public Exchequer (Accountability) Bill, 2015” was also moved by Mr Harraj on March 24 last year.

Through the bill, the MNA has sought repeal of the NAB Ordinance, 1999, and abolishment of all anti-corruption establishments in the country to enact a new law of accountability.

The mover has suggested establishment of a National Accountability Commission (NAC) for the purposes of inquiry, investigation, probe and prosecution of offences under the new law. The new commission will have 10 regional offices, besides its headquarters in Islamabad.

The proposed 19-member NAC, according to the bill, will comprise a chairman, 10 deputy chairmen, two financial experts or chartered accountants and six advisers, known for their professional competence and integrity.

Interestingly, Mr Harraj has suggested the appointment of NAC chairman and deputy chairmen through elections to be conducted by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

He has, however, suggested a very complex process for elections, in which he has given a role to three services chiefs.

The bill contains a whole chapter titled “offences and punishments” describing definitions of corruption and corrupt practices besides suggesting punishment that includes imprisonment and imposition of fine.

The mover has also proposed establishment of five separate divisions under the PAC, namely Special Banking Divi­sion to look into written off loans, Special Taxation Divi­sion for probing tax evasions, Special Civil Division for irregularities in award of civil or building contracts, Judiciary Division to evaluate and collect evidence against judiciary and to pursue cases in the Supreme Judicial Council and Police and Revenue Division to identify and prosecute such officers of the state.

The committee is also set to review two bills seeking amendments to various sections of the NAB Ordinance, 1999. These bills were introduced by the PPP and PTI MNAs.

The PTI bill, piloted by Dr Arif Alvi, has suggested appointment of NAB chairman through a parliamentary committee similar to the appointment of the chief election commissioner and judges of the higher judiciary.

On the other hand, the PPP bill, moved by Imran Leghari, seeks to abolish the role of NAB from investigating matters related to provinces and restrict it only to the federal government institutions.

The NA committee will also review the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, 2015, the Code of Civil Procedure (Amend­­ment) Bill, 2016, the Islamabad High Court (Amendment) Bill, 2016, and Civil Courts (Amend­ment) Bill, 2016.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2016

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