Senate passes NAB amendment bill despite Opposition's protest.

The Senate passed on Thursday the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Bill despite strong protest by the Opposition, who alleged that the government intended to damage the anti-graft body to facilitate its leadership.

However, the government strenuously denied these charges, emphasising that the revisions were in public interest and so were required to be enacted the same day the House convened after a two-day break.

The Opposition started the protest in the House when Minister of State for Law and Justice Shahadat Awan moved a motion seeking suspension of rules for introducing the bill, while opposition members shouted "no, no" and beat desks to obstruct the process. Three amendments submitted by JI Senator Mushtaq Ahmad were rejected by a majority vote amid the chaos.

Rising from his seat, PTI Senator Shibli Faraz stated that the bill's clear goal was to render the NAB powerless, adding that it was being done by a government facing significant corruption accusations, with 60% of its cabinet members on bail.

The legislator claimed the incumbent coalition government had no moral justification for passing legislation that would directly benefit it, and vowed to oppose it tooth and nail.

Shibli was supported by JI Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, who argued that the bill was intended to take effect in 1999, and that a criminal law cannot be retroactively applied.

Furthermore, Ahmed highlighted that under an amendment, the NAB would be unable to prosecute people who whiten their black money through amnesty programmes, since this would undoubtedly give a back door for unscrupulous mafias, criminals, and dacoits.

However, Shahadat Awan said that he could demonstrate that these changes were made in the public interest. Despite the minister's clarification, the opposition senators rose from their seats following the voice vote, chanted loud slogans, swarmed around the Senate Chairman's podium, and threw shredded copies of the agenda. The opposition senators walked out of the House after registering their protest.

The government's and opposition's renewed tug of war over the Election Commission of Pakistan's recent decision in the PTI foreign funding case also made its way into the House. Ex-Senate Chairman and PPP...