Hours before former prime minister Imran Khan is to appear before the country’s top anti-corruption probe agency on Tuesday in a corruption case, the Pakistan government has made anti-corruption laws more stringent overnight. Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, who is acting in President Arif Alvi’s absence for Ziyarat, directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to arrest a suspect during the investigation period and also to the NAB court after arresting a suspect within the first 15 years. Instead of days, now issued an ordinance to allow the provision of 30 days in custody.
This ordinance was issued on the advice of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. In para 6 of the summary, the suggestion of the Prime Minister is approved, said the notification signed by Sanjrani. It has been implemented with the signing of the National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023. The changes were made around midnight and a few hours before Khan was to appear before the NAB.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan (70) along with his wife Bushra Bibi left for Islamabad from Lahore as both were to appear before NAB in the Al-Qadir Trust case. His media team gave this information in a WhatsApp message. The Al-Qadir Trust case is about corruption of at least Rs 50 billion. Khan has denied any wrongdoing and accused the government of targeting him for political reasons.