The National Accountability Bureau (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 promulgated by the president has been challenged in the Lahore High Court on Saturday, according to an Aaj News report.

Advocate Ishtiaq A Khan submitted the petition in the high court wherein it was maintained that the Parliament reserves the right of making laws and that no amendment in law can be made to facilitate one person.

He added that in the presence of the Prliament, the body who prepares laws, the president has no right to promulgate the ordinance.

On the basis of the reasons presented in the plea, the advocate pleaded the court to declare the ordinance null and void immediately.

President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday promulgated the ordinance wherein NAB's jurisdiction has been reduced and the president has authority to reappoint the incumbent NAB chief or extend his tenure.

A feature of the ordinance has excluded the federal and provincial cabinets, business community and collective decisions of the committees or sub-committees, Council of Common Interests, National Economic Council, National Finance Commission, Exe­cutive Committee of Natio­nal Economic Council, Cen­tral Development Working Party, Provincial Develop­ment Working Party, Departmental Development Working Party and State Bank of Pakistan from the ambit of the NAB, according to a Dawn report.

As per an amendment in Sub-section b of Section 6 of the National Accountability Ordinance, extension has been granted in the tenure of the NAB chief by excluding the word “non-extendable” from the statue.

However, it has retained the proviso that makes consultation between the opposition leader and the leader of the house in the National Assembly on the appointment of NAB chairman, but states that the president would consult both of them, read the report.

Increasing the role of the opposition and enhancing the parliamentary oversight, the ordinance provided a forum of a 12-member parliamentary committee in case a deadlock persists in consultation between the prime minister and the opposition leader over the appointment of NAB chief.

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