ISLAMABAD: A day after acting President Yousuf Raza Gilani promulgated the National Accou­nta­bility (Amendment) Ordi­n­­a­nce to extend maximum period of the physical remand of an accused in white-collar crime from 14 to 40 days, not only the leaders in the ruling PML-N but one of its allies also rejected the amendment.

PML-N leader Khwaja Saad Rafiq, who has also faced NAB investigation and remained under remand for 90 days, outrightly rejected the ordinance.

In a statement on social media platform X, he said: “Extending the physical remand from 14 to 40 days is a sad affair and it should be withdrawn. Controversial legislation always remains unsuitable.”

Terming the NAB law a “black law”, the former railways minister said the accountability law was made by a dictator. “Different military, civil and judicial dictators have used it (NAB law) for shameful political motives.”

Mr Rafiq said that several innocent people have been victims of the black law and, therefore, no one could support it.

The MQM-P, an ally of the ruling PML-N, also rejected the latest amendment to NAB law and termed it “inappropriate”.

A statement issued by the MQM’s Central Committee said it will not be correct by any means to keep an accused on remand for 40 days.

It termed the amendment “un-understandable” that the sentence of an officer, who makes a case against one on the basis of ill-will, has also been reduced from five to two years.

“The amendment in the law is required to be reviewed sagaciously,” the statement said.

Since some amendments in the accountability laws made by the last government, NAB became a toothless institution to such an extent that even the bureaucrats do not respond to the bureau’s queries.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2024