Curtailment of NAB's powers challenged in LHC.

Byline: Wajih Ahmad Sheikh

LAHORE -- A lawyer on Saturday challenged before the Lahore High Court amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, through a presidential ordinance which has curtailed powers of the anti-corruption watchdog to investigate businessmen and bureaucrats in particular.

'The watchdog authority has been chained by joining hands with the parliamentarians, civil administration and the business community,' said advocate Ishtiaq A. Chaudhry in a 'public interest' petition.

He argued that Article 25(1) of the Constitution postulated that all citizens were equal before law and they were entitled to equal protection of law.

The petitioner said the special facilitation given to suspects of NAB whereby powers to arrest and investigate had been interfered and a new plea-bargain before investigation had been introduced, was highly discriminatory.

He pleaded that Article 5 of the Constitution provided for loyalty to the state and the recent amendments introduced in the NAO were likely to make public office holder corrupt and disloyal to the state.

The lawyer argued that the restriction imposed...