ISLAMABAD: President Arif Alvi has returned the National Accountability (Amend) Bill to the Parliament unsigned, according to a press release issued by the President Secretariat Press Wing on Sunday.
The President, in terms of clause (1)(b) of Article 75 of the Constitution, has sent back the piece of legislation as he observed that the amendments in the accountability ordinance are currently sub-judice before the Supreme Court.
The President highlighted that the aspect of the legislation was neither referred to in the bill nor in the Prime Minister’s advice, and without considering the implications of a pending matter, further amendments in the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 should be reconsidered.
Earlier, the Prime Minister had sought assent of the President over the said bill. However, in a couple of tweets, the President also gave the same reasons for his action.
صدر مملکت ڈاکٹر عارف علوی نے نیب (ترمیمی) بل، 2023 پارلیمنٹ کو دوبارہ غور کرنے کیلئے واپس بھجوا دیا
صدر مملکت نے بل آئین کے آرٹیکل 75 ایک بی کے تحت پارلیمان کو واپس بھجوایا
قومی احتساب آرڈیننس 1999 میں پہلے کی گئی ترامیم سپریم کورٹ میں زیر سماعت ہیں ، صدر مملکت
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) April 30, 2023
It is pertinent to mention here that this is not the first time President Alvi has returned a bill unsigned. On April 8th, he returned the bill clipping the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s powers unsigned to the Parliament with the request for reconsideration in order to meet the scrutiny about its validity.
In that instance, the President had stated that the bill prima-facie travels beyond the competence of the Parliament and can be assailed as colourable legislation. Alvi had said he thought it fit and proper to return the bill, in accordance with the Constitution, with the request for reconsideration in order to meet the scrutiny about its validity if assailed in the court of law.
