Pak Anti-Graft Act Passed

Pakistans national Assembly has passed a new accountability bill providing for just fair and quick trial of and punishment to public servants, including President and Prime Minister, found guilty of corruption.

The much awaited law called the Ehtesab (accountability) Bill, 1997, was passed Thursday evening amidst protest from the opposition benches and is expected to get clearance from the senate (upper House), yesterday.

The new law replaces an earlier ordinance, which had been promulgated by the caretaker government, with a restricted operative period. While the earlier law applied to public office holders since december 31, 1985, the new law will apply to those holding office since November 6, 1990.

 

The new bill also curtails the presidents authority as it takes away his powers to appoint the chief ehtesab commissioner, which has been now entrusted with the centre.

The opposition pakistan peoples party (ppp) posed stiff resistance to the measure, terming it as anti-politician bill amd alleged that it was being introduced to wreak political victimisation upon ppp leaders. The bill also faced some criticism from a couple of members from the teasury benches to the embarassment of the nawaz sharif government.

The new act envisages the creation of an ehtesab (accountability) cell, which shall hold investigations into the offences under the act. However, no person shall be prosecuted for the offence of corruption and corrupt practices by the chief ehtesab commissioner, except before a bench of the high court.

The case shall be heard on day to day basis and disposed of within 60 days, the measure said.

The new law, however, has one questionable clause which gives the offender an opportunity to escape punishment if he returned the looted and stolen wealth. Pti sak sps gkg 05301757