Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial has remarked on Friday that the evidence collected through international legal help were not acceptable after the NAB amendments. He passed these remarks while hearing a plea filed by the PTI chairman against the NAB amendments. A three-member bench led by CJ Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Hassan and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah is hearing the petition. At the outset of the hearing, as the PTI chief’s counsel, Khawaja Haris, made arguments, the CJ intervened and asked Haris that he wanted to ask Makhdom Ali Khan a question. The CJ said it was observed yesterday that the status of evidence obtained through mutual legal cooperation had been eliminated under the [NAB amendments] and that the bureau would be paying extra for seeking legal services.

“You earlier said that in addition to mutual legal cooperation, a report pertaining to foreign properties has been received but it’s not acceptable under the law,” the CJ noted. During the hearing a report was submitted regarding returning of the references after the NAB amendments. On the occasion, Justice Ijazul Hassan asked if NAB had submitted an edited report. To which the NAB prosecutor confirmed the submission of the report. The chief justice opined that Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) record obtained from abroad could not be submitted as an acceptable evidence in the court of law. “Does the constitution of Pakistan list the rights of an applicant.” Lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan informed the court that the constitution only describes the rights of an accused and a fair trial. The CJ then reiterated that record obtained from abroad could not be submitted as an acceptable evidence in the court of law. However, lawyer Khan told the court that the FBR could receive details of foreign assets.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)