Pakistan’s top court restores anticorruption law amendments

On Friday, Pakistan's Supreme Court reinstated amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) that had been previously struck down. The amendments, which were introduced by the coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, aimed to limit the powers of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and were opposed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The court's unanimous decision overturned a prior ruling that had favored Khan's position against the amendments, which he claimed were designed to protect rival politicians from corruption charges. The amendments included significant changes such as reducing the NAB chairperson's tenure to three years and restricting the bureau's jurisdiction to cases involving corruption exceeding 500 million rupees. Analysts noted the irony in the ruling, as it could potentially benefit Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, who are currently facing multiple corruption charges. The couple had been granted bail in May, but the NAB sought to challenge this decision in the Supreme Court. Legal experts suggested that the amendments could undermine the NAB's ability to investigate cabinet decisions, which may weaken the cases against Khan and his wife. The Supreme Court emphasized the importance of maintaining a separation of powers between the legislature and judiciary, asserting that the judiciary should not act as a gatekeeper for parliamentary actions. Political analysts expressed mixed feelings about the ruling, acknowledging that while it may aid Khan, it also reflects a broader need for political stability and reduced powers for institutions involved in political engineering. The decision highlights ongoing tensions in Pakistan's political landscape, particularly regarding accountability and governance.