The administration of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has implemented additional amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws, which now allow the antigraft body to detain those under investigation for up to 30 days.
Sadiq Sanjrani, the Acting President, approved the NAB (Amendment) Ordinance 2023 late at night, following federal cabinet consent.
The new law grants the NAB chairman the authority to issue arrest warrants for non-compliant individuals during an investigation.
Previously, in June 2022, the coalition government modified the NAB legislation, shortening the duration of physical custody from 90 to 14 days. The rationale behind this abrupt legal amendment remains unclear as the authorities have not explained it.
Importantly, it should be noted that no presidential ordinance can be issued while the National Assembly is in session. Technically, the Assembly was still in session, adjourning until July 17 after passing the National Budget on June 24.
In related developments, the NAB Rawalpindi has summoned the former prime minister and Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, along with his wife, Bushra Imran Khan. In two separate cases, they must appear before the watchdog today (Tuesday).
Imran Khan has been summoned in relation to the Toshakhana case and Bushra Bibi for a £190 million settlement case with the National Crime Agency (NCA) UK.
Despite being summoned on three occasions, the couple has consistently failed to appear in the cases, continually seeking new dates.
 laws, extending detention duration to 30 days. Find out about the implications and reactions surrounding this change in Pakistan's political scene.){kind=link}