Govt tables controversial NAB & Election ordinances before NA

The federal government tabled the Election (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 and National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 on Thursday through a supplementary agenda with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) calling the move “politically motivated.”

The amendments in the NAB law would increase the remand period from 14 days to 40 days; whereas amendments in the election law would allow the government to appoint retired judges to the election tribunals – a move already challenged in Islamabad and Lahore high courts.

PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council Chief Whip Aamir Dogar strongly criticised the proposed ordinances saying that the government was tabling them because it was afraid of Imran Khan.

Interestingly, Dogar pointed out that in April 2023 the PDM government reduced the period of physical remand from 90 days to 14 days but now it is trying to change its own previous amendments.