ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday returned the National Accountability (Amendment) Bill 2022 unsigned again to the PM Office, saying that he believes the bill is regressive in nature and will promote corruption by ensuring that the long-arm of the law is crippled.
Earlier on June 4, for “not being informed” about the “legislative proposal” under Article 46 before the electoral and the NAB amendment bills were tabled in Parliament, President Dr Arif Alvi refused to sign them and returned them back to PM Shehbaz Sharif.
The president had returned the NAB (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022 for “reconsideration and detailed deliberation” to Parliament and its committees under Clause (1) (b) of Article 75.
The said bills were then passed by a joint sitting of the parliament on June 09 and will come into force despite the president’s refusal to sign them.
A press release issued by the President House today said that the bill also sends a message to the corrupt, who have amassed tremendous wealth and about which there is no doubt in the minds of the people of Pakistan, that they are not accountable and are free to continue to plunder.
More to follow …
