RAWALPINDI:
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Court in Rawalpindi did not issue a single verdict in 2024, reflecting broader changes to the bureau’s operations and legal framework.
According to sources, Rawalpindi had four NAB courts, but two were dissolved in the first phase of the restructuring.
Following new legislation introduced under the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government in 2022, a significant number of cases were excluded from the jurisdiction of the NAB, resulting in a reduction in the number of cases across the division.
This led to the closure of a third NAB court, leaving only one operational court in Rawalpindi.
Currently, the only remaining NAB court is hearing only three minor cases and verdicts are expected to be issued in the next three months. After the Supreme Court recently struck down some NAB laws, 27 previously dismissed cases were reinstated. However, these cases were again withdrawn following the government’s intra-judicial appeal in favor of the revised legislation.
The Rawalpindi NAB court has not received any new case for the last three years.
Most of the new cases from Rawalpindi and Islamabad are now being filed in the NAB courts located in Islamabad.
According to sources, logistical challenges, particularly traffic congestion between the two cities, have made Islamabad courts a more convenient option for NAB teams.
If no new cases are filed by the end of the first quarter of 2025, Rawalpindi’s NAB court risks becoming largely ceremonial, with little or no active caseload.
