NAB May Drop Cases Below Rs. 800 Million After Law Change

The National Accountability Bureau may be forced to drop a large number of corruption cases after a recent legal amendment effectively raised its financial threshold to around Rs. 800 million.

Previously, NAB could only take up cases involving at least Rs. 500 million. However, an amendment to the National Accountability Ordinance has linked this threshold to inflation, with annual adjustments based on data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics starting from July 2022.

According to a report by a national daily, the cumulative impact of inflation has already pushed the practical threshold to nearly Rs, 800 million, placing many ongoing investigations, inquiries, and court references below the bureau’s jurisdiction.

The development means that several cases currently under process could be withdrawn or closed, as they no longer meet the revised financial criteria. The report said the amendment may significantly reduce the number of cases NAB can pursue.

The move has also raised concerns, as NAB had earlier proposed lowering the threshold to Rs. 300 million to expand its scope. Instead, lawmakers opted to increase the limit through inflation adjustment, a step critics say could shield a larger number of corruption cases from accountability.

Officials noted that the bureau has not yet issued an official statement on the revised threshold or its implications for ongoing cases.