Imran Khan Fails to Prove NAB Amendments Unconstitutional, Supreme Court Restores NAB Amendments

The Supreme Court has restored the NAB amendments after accepting the government’s intra-court appeal. A five-member bench, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, announced the decision to reinstate the amendments.

The court had previously reserved its decision on appeals against the ruling that nullified the NAB amendments. Chief Justice stated that Imran Khan could not prove the amendments were unconstitutional.

The ruling emphasized that the Supreme Court should maintain legislation whenever possible, and no evidence was found to prove the amendments unconstitutional. It also clarified that the judiciary cannot act as a gatekeeper for Parliament, as both institutions have distinct roles defined by the Constitution. A detailed verdict will be posted on the Supreme Court’s website.

Justice Athar Minallah rejected the government’s appeal, stating in a separate note that the appeal was not maintainable. Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi, while agreeing with the decision, expressed different reasoning in his note. Earlier, a three-member bench led by former Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial had invalidated the NAB amendments, and that ruling had come into effect. Later, intra-court appeals were filed against the decision, resulting in the formation of a five-member larger bench, which, after five hearings, issued its reserved verdict. The bench also included Justices Ameen-ud-Din, Jamal Mandokhail, Athar Minallah, and Hasan Azhar Rizvi.