The new anti-corruption NAB law, being finalized by the government, will continue to exclude generals and judges from the accountability mechanism, said by Senior Journalist Mr. Ansar Abbasi in his recent report in the famous newspaper of Pakistan 'The News'.

He revealed in his latest promulgate that Informed sources said that after learning lessons from the experience of General Pervez Musharraf’s trial on high-treason charges, the government does not want to invite any new trouble.

“We don’t want to rock the boat,” a source involved in the job said, adding that the definition of the “holder of public office” will remain the same as is reflected in the present NAB law, which excludes generals and judges from the accountability body’s purview.

In the present law, the “holder of public office” means a person who- “(i) has been the President of Pakistan or the Governor of a Province. (ii) is, or has been the Prime Minister, Chairman Senate, Speaker of the National Assembly, Deputy Speaker National Assembly, Federal Minister, Minister of State, Attorney General and other Law Officer appointed under the Central Law Officers Ordinance, 1970 (VII of 1970), Adviser to the Prime Minister, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Federal Parliamentary Secretary, Member of Parliament, Auditor General, Political Secretary, Advisor or Consultant to the Prime Minister and holds or has held a post or office with the rank or status of a Federal Minister or Minister of State; (iii) is, or has been, the Chief Minister, Speaker Provincial Assembly, Deputy Speaker Provincial Assembly, Provincial Minister, Adviser to the Chief Minister, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister, Provincial Parliamentary Secretary, Member of the Provincial Assembly, Advocate General including Additional Advocate General and Assistant Advocate General, Political Secretary, Advisor or Consultant to the Chief Minister and who holds or has held a post or office with the rank or status of a Provincial Minister; (iv) is holding, or has held, an office or post in the service of Pakistan, or any service in connection with the affairs of the Federation, or of a Province, or of a local council constituted under any Federal or Provincial law relating to the constitution of local councils, or in the management of corporations, banks, financial institutions, firms, concerns, undertakings or any other institution or organisation established, controlled or administered by or under the Federal Government or a Provincial Government, other than a person who is a member of any of the armed forces of Pakistan, or for the time being is subject to any law relating to any of the said forces, except a person who is, or has been a member of the said forces and is holding, or has held, a post or office in any public corporation, bank, financial institution, undertaking or other organization established, controlled or administered by or under the Federal Government or a Provincial Government; (v) is, or has been, the Chairman or Vice Chairman of a zila council, a municipal committee, a municipal corporation or a metropolitan corporation constituted under any Federal or Provincial law relating to local councils; and ‘Explanation’ For the purpose of this sub-clause the expressions ‘Chairman’ and ‘Vice Chairman’ shall include ‘Mayor’ and ‘Deputy Mayor’ as the case may be, and the respective councilors therein; (vi) any person who has served in and retired or resigned from or has been discharged or dismissed from the Armed Forces of Pakistan.”

The same definition will be maintained in the new NAB law despite the Senate of Pakistan’s recent endorsement to one of its standing committees report seeking a unified and comprehensive accountability system in the country for all, including generals and judges.

The report of the committee, which was presented in the Upper House last month, had expressed dissatisfaction with the present accountability system. It had noted that NAB, which has been entrusted with the task of investigating and prosecuting corruption, falls short of the principle of “accountability for all”.

The report added: “The transparency of its (NAB) prosecution has increasingly been called to question being selective as the excesses of the military and the judiciary have, by and large, been ignored by the Bureau.”