FAZAL SHER

ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee on National Accountability Law on Monday approved seven more sections, related to willful default, transfer of cases and copy of judgment to be given to accused and prosecutor, of draft accountability bill.

“The committee has discussed and approved 35 out of 55 sections of the draft accountability bill so far,” said Federal Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid while talking to media persons after presiding over a meeting of the committee. The draft bill had been prepared by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice during the previous regime.

He said the committee held detailed discussion over sections 29, 30, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35 relating to willful default, false evidence, appeal, transfer of cases, and copy of judgment to be given to accused and prosecutor.

Hamid said that the committee has agreed that section 29 related to willful defaults will be included in the Financial Institutions (Recovery of Loans) Ordinance and it will be passed the day when they will pass the National Accountability Act.

“We have covered 35 out of 55 sections of the draft bill and are likely to conclude discussion on the draft bill within the next one to two meetings,” he said, adding that the next meeting of the committee will be held after Eidul Fitr.

About the accountability of retired army officers, he said that out of three sections deferred by the committee, one section is related to categories of holders of public office which the committee will discuss at the end.

He said that after the passage of proposed bill, a National Accountability Commission (NAC) will be set up which will function like the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). He said that according to the proposed draft, chairman, deputy chairman and members of NAC would be appointed by prime minister through consultation with the opposition leader after confirmation by a parliamentary committee, having equal representation of opposition and treasury benches.

The proposed NAC would consist of chairman, deputy chairman, member accounts and member legal. Under the proposed law, a functionally and financially independent Accountability Investigation Agency (AIA) will be established, which will work under the NAC, he said.

According to the terms of reference, the committee will revisit the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 and it will recommend necessary amendments in it. The committee has been tasked to present its report within three months. The parliamentary committee consists of 20 legislators including 13 MNAs and seven senators.

Among the MNAs are: Lieutenant General Abdul Qadir Baloch (retd), Anusha Rahman, Usman Ibrahim, Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, Chaudhry Mahmood Bashir Virk, Mohsin Shah Nawaz Ranjha, Syed Naveed Qamar, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, SA Iqbal Qadri, Naeema Kishwar Khan, Sahibzada Tariqullah and Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao.

The committee also includes Senators Farhatullah Babar, Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, Saud Majeed, Javed Abbasi, Azam Khan Swati, Barrister Ali Khan Saif and Daud Khan Achakzai as its members.