NA passes National Accountability (Amendment) Bill, 2026

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Mar, 2026) The National Assembly on Thursday passed the “National Accountability (Amendment) Bill, 2026” with a majority vote, introducing amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999.

The bill, moved by MNA Mah Jabeen Khan Abbasi, proposed that decisions of High Courts in National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases may be challenged through a second appeal before the Federal Constitutional Court within 30 days, thereby expanding the appellate framework for accountability proceedings.

The Senate of Pakistan had already passed the bill with a majority vote.

Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazir Tarar informed the House that the government had no objection to the proposed amendments moved by the MNA, describing them as constructive improvements to the existing law.

The law minister said the bill addressed certain procedural ambiguities in the accountability law, particularly regarding the power of courts to grant bail and the handling of proceedings.

“In my opinion, these are good suggestions,” the law minister said, adding that the amendments aimed to provide clarity and strengthen legal safeguards in accountability matters.

Under the proposed amendments, accountability courts and relevant High Courts would be explicitly empowered to grant bail or order the release of an accused under the relevant provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The bill also proposes allowing the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau to serve a three-year term that may be extended once for an additional three years, replacing the current provision that bars reappointment or extension.

Another amendment seeks to adjust the financial threshold used in NAB cases annually according to the inflation index published by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, ensuring that monetary limits remain realistic over time.

In addition, the bill clarifies that procedural provision governing trials under the accountability law would also apply to appellate proceedings, a move aimed at removing interpretational ambiguity in the ordinance.

Azam Nazir Tarar said that under the NAB law only one appeal as of right is currently available before the concerned High Court, and the amendment would expand the legal recourse available to litigants.

He added that providing an additional appellate forum could help address longstanding criticism that the accountability law is overly stringent and lacks adequate safeguards for fundamental rights.

APP/zah-sra