Pakistan - September 2024

On 6 September 2024, a five-judge panel of the Supreme Court reinstated a set of amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law, overturning a 2023 ruling made by a three-judge panel. The amendments limit the NAB’s authority by prohibiting it from making rulings on corruption cases that concern less than PKR 500 million. The original case was brought by former Prime Minister Imran Khan in front of the Supreme Court in 2023, who argued the amendments protect politicians and enable corruption. Legal experts have raised concerns that the reinstated amendments could potentially weaken anti-corruption efforts by limiting NAB’s investigative powers.

Sources: International IDEA, Supreme Court of Pakistan, Al Jazeera, Tribune, Dawn