LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique on Tuesday criticised the approval of the NAB (Amendment) Ordinance, which extends the physical remand period for suspects from 14 days to 40 days, calling it deplorable.
“This draconian law is indefensible and should be withdrawn,” Rafique asserted, reminding that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance was initially implemented by a dictator. He emphasised that the ordinance has been misused for political victimisation, causing undue harm to many innocent individuals.
Under the amended NAB Ordinance, the remand period for suspects in NAB cases has been extended from 14 days to 40 days. This extension was formalised when Acting President Yusuf Raza Gilani signed two new ordinances on Monday: the NAB (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 and the Elections Act (Amendment) Ordinance 2024. Gilani acted on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as President Asif Zardari is currently in Dubai.
The amendments received federal cabinet approval before promulgation. Notably, the new NAB law reduces the sentence duration for officers convicted of framing cases with ill intent from five years to two years.
Additionally, the Elections Act (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 mandates that election tribunals will include retired judges alongside serving jurists.
