ISLAMABAD: Recently, claims have been circulated online suggesting that amendments to Pakistan’s anti-corruption law allowed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to shut down high-profile cases against prominent politicians, including former President Asif Ali Zardari, former Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and former Chief Ministers Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz, and others. However, these claims do not align with the facts.
Fact Check About NAB Amendments and Closure of Cases
Two reports submitted by the NAB to the Supreme Court of Pakistan provide insight into investigations affected by amendments to the NAB law in 2022 and 2023. These reports do indeed mention the names of several high-profile politicians. However, it’s crucial to note that the reports neither confirm nor suggest that these cases have been closed as a result of the amendments.
671634025-List-of-NAB-FinalThe first report, submitted in February, outlines references that were returned to NAB due to changes in anti-corruption legislation from 2019 to June 2022. The list includes the names of politicians such as Asif Ali Zardari, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz, Saleem Mandviwala, and others.
The second report, submitted in September, covers references transferred or returned between January 1 and September 1, 2023, as a result of the NAB law amendments. This report mentions Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Asif Ali Zardari.
It’s important to emphasize that the presence of these names in the reports does not imply that cases against these individuals have been closed. Instead, the reports provide information on cases affected by legislative changes.
Therefore, claims suggesting that high-profile cases were closed due to amendments in the NAB law are misleading. These investigations remain ongoing, subject to legal proceedings and the judicial process.
