Six former PMs of Pakistan to get cases reopened after SC verdict

As many as 6 former Prime Ministers of Pakistan could face new cases after the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) struck down the controversial amendments to accountability laws made by the former government.

The decision by the SC has once again given the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to nab politicians on white-collar crimes of less than Rs 500 million. This will reopen about 1,800 previously closed cases at NAB.

Political bigwigs including Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, Shehbaz Sharif, Yousaf Raza Gillani, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Shaukat Aziz as well as former president Asif Ali Zardari will now once again have to face NAB in the previously closed cases.

Other politicians including Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Khawaja Asif, Rana Sanaullah, Javed Latif, Akram Durrani, Saleem Mandviwalla, Shaukat Tarin, Pervez Khattak, Amir Mehmood Kiani, Khusro Bakhtiar, Faryal Talpur and former chief ministers of Punjab and Sindh Hamza Shehbaz and Syed Murad Ali Shah will also have cases against them reopened.

The decision will have long-lasting political implications, especially on the upcoming general elections where all of these politicians have high stakes.

Read More: Pervaiz Elahi arrested again after being released

However, NAB said that all cases would not be reopened as cases that had been concluded such as those closed by NAB or decided by the court would not be reopened. The accountability watchdog is working to assess how many cases would have to be reopened in light of the SC verdict.


Read More: Shahbaz Sharif says Nawaz Sharif will return to Pakistan on Oct 21

Meanwhile, the SC decision could be reverted as the incoming Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Esa could revert decisions made by the controversial 3-member bench that had been making controversial decisions.

On the other hand, political parties have brushed the SC decision aside and are focusing on the upcoming general elections.