The federal government has decided to amend the law governing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and empower trial courts to decide whether an accused should be granted bail or not.

According to the sources, Federal Law Minister Farogh Naseem has started work on the new NAB ordinance. It is being considered that NAB chairman’s powers to issue warrants for the arrest of an accused should be withdrawn in the new ordinance.

In the new law, the trial court would be empowered to decide whether an accused should be granted bail or not. It has been proposed in the new law that those agreeing voluntarily to return the money earned through illegal means should be disqualified for any public office for five years.

In a briefing to Prime Minister Imran Khan, the law minister advised him to consult all political parties on the new NAB law. The prime minister has formed a committee headed by National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar to contact the political parties on this issue. The committee will take all political parties and stakeholders into confidence on the new NAB law.