KARACHI: The Sindh government is expected to table a bill seeking to repeal the applicability of the National Accountability Ordinance of 1999 during provincial assembly session today (Monday).

The bill seeks to curtail NAB?s powers and give it the mandate to probe and hear cases related to federal institutions after a formal endorsement from the Sindh Assembly.

Over the matter, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders informally met Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari at Zardari House in Nawabshah on Sunday.

Meeting participants included Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah, law minister and advocate general.

During the meeting, Zardari was advised on the legal aspects of repealing the NAB ordinance. CM Sindh said that all PPP members of the assembly have been instructed to attend the session today (Monday).

Interestingly, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has already curtailed the powers of NAB in the province and established their own Ehtesab Commission. 

However, the move to make a similar move in Sindh has led the opposition to question its maintainability.

The opposition members also pointed out that most of the ministers and officials affiliated with the party are currently being investigated by the NAB. Moreover, they expressed their fears that NAB?s role will be taken up by Anti-Corruption Establishment, which is controlled by the Sindh government.

On Friday, the Sindh cabinet gave its approval to repeal the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance in Punjab.

Sindh cabinet approves repealing of NAB ordinance

Provincial cabinet also approved a proposal to impose restrictions on the establishment of new sugar mills

The approval was given in a high-level meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Murad at the CM House, after a briefing on the subject by Advocate General for Sindh Zamir Ghumro.

According to Sindh?s advocate general, corruption cases related to provincial institutions will now be probed by the Provincial Ehtesab Bureau.

A committee has been constituted by the cabinet to give recommendations for changes in the anti-corruption laws within a month.