Friday May 12, 2023
The National Accountability Tribunal (NAB) – Pakistan's powerful anti-corruption agency that arrested former prime minister Imran Khan in a land scam case – created by military ruler the late General Pervez Musharraf and currently headed by a retired general – has a mandate to end corruption in the country.
The anti-corruption watchdog has investigated, tried and at various times jailed all prime ministers since 2008, including current prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, former president Asif Ali Zardari and other leading political figures.
The Supreme Court on Thursday said the NAB's arrest of Imran Khan, who was removed from the post of prime minister on a no-confidence motion last April, was illegal.
Below are some facts about NAB and how it works.
Commencement
NAB began operations in 1999 under a chairman who was a former army general. It is headquartered in Islamabad and has regional offices in all major cities.
Working
It is an autonomous body, but has often been used as a tool to suppress opposition in the country, according to analysts and politicians.
However, the anti-corruption watch rejects the abuse of its powers.
It has its own investigators, unlimited powers of arrest and prison cells to hold suspects. The NAB has prosecutors and judges and runs its own courts, separate from the main court system.
Prime Minister Shehbaz was arrested by the agency and detained for several months in 2020 when he was the opposition leader in Khan's parliament.
It only investigates public office holders and government officials under the law, but there have been complaints from businessmen that they have also been investigated and tried.
Investigations and subsequent trials can take months, sometimes years, and suspects can be locked up during that time.
Mandate
NAB's mandate, according to the law ministry, is to eliminate corruption through enforcement, prosecution, awareness and prevention and to create a legal framework to fight corruption.
Controversial
The agency has been controversial since its inception, mainly because of its unfettered powers and the stigma attached to each person investigated, even if he was later cleared.
While there is widespread agreement that the country should be cleansed of corruption, analysts say the agency has fallen far short of that mission.
On the other hand, the fear of investigation by NAB is so great that government officials have often dragged their feet on clean-up projects.
Indictments, cases
According to NAB data, the agency conducted 4,747 investigations till March this year, of which 3,538 were filed in court. The cases resulted in 1,190 convictions and 771 acquittals, while others were pending or inactive. One hundred cases were withdrawn.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the elder brother of the current prime minister, and his daughter Maryam Nawaz were convicted of corruption by the NAB court in 2018.
Maryam Nawaz's conviction was later quashed by a higher court.
Appendices
In March, politicians across the spectrum, with the exception of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), came together to amend the law to limit the agency's powers, such as holding a suspect for up to 90 days without bail. The maximum period is now 14 days. The agency must also complete the case within one year.
Khan's party opposed the move, saying the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition government was trying to turn the agency into a toothless body.
