ISLAMABAD: Months after it took away most of the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) powers through amendments in its law, the government is now mulling a proposal to vest the accountability watchdog’s chief with more authority.

According to a government source, a draft would soon be presented before the federal cabinet in this regard. It will authorise the NAB chairman to transfer non-cognisable cases, which could not be tried in accountability courts, to relevant forums.

The NAB chief will also be empowered to close non-cognisable cases while the relevant departments will be authorised to initiate fresh investigations in such cases.

Under the proposal, the cases of one accountability court could not be transferred to any other accountability court.

In case of the chairman’s absence, the NAB’s deputy chairman will exercise these powers. The deputy chairman will be a grade-21 officer or equivalent to the rank of a lieutenant general or a major general of the army.

Proposal to be tabled before cabinet

In case of non-availability of the deputy chairman, the federal government would be authorised to appoint any officer of NAB to exercise the chairman’s powers.

Under the proposal, for the first time, the Senate deputy chairman will be considered a public office holder and come under the purview of NAB. Before this, only the Senate chairman was categorised as a public office holder.

The move came two days after the government appointed retired Lt Gen Nazir Ahmad as the new NAB chairman for three years. Mr Butt replaced Aftab Sultan who resigned last month citing “interference” and “pressure”.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2023