The National Accountability Bureau is considering a new legal interpretation that could prevent a significant number of corruption cases from being closed following an increase in the bureau’s financial jurisdiction threshold.
According to reports, NAB is preparing a proposal that may soon be presented before its Executive Board Meeting (EBM) for a policy decision.
The proposal seeks to address concerns that many ongoing inquiries, investigations, and corruption references could fall outside NAB’s jurisdiction after the minimum financial threshold increased from Rs500 million to around Rs800 million due to inflation-linked adjustments.
Under the proposed interpretation, NAB would apply the same inflation formula used to revise its financial jurisdiction threshold to the alleged amount of financial loss caused by corruption. Instead of relying on the original amount at the time of the alleged offence, the bureau would recalculate the current value of the allegedly embezzled or misappropriated funds after adjusting for inflation.
If the inflation-adjusted value exceeds the revised Rs800 million threshold, the case could remain under NAB’s jurisdiction even if the original amount was below the updated limit.
Supporters of the proposal argue that inflation-linked amendments should not benefit only the accused. They contend that the financial loss suffered by individuals, government institutions, or the national exchequer should also be adjusted for inflation to reflect its present-day value.
The increase in NAB’s financial threshold stems from amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance, which linked the previous Rs500 million limit to inflation indices published by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics from July 1, 2022. NAB officials estimate the revised threshold has now reached approximately Rs800 million.
Legal experts believe the proposal could face judicial scrutiny if challenged, as the courts would ultimately determine whether inflation adjustments apply only to NAB’s financial threshold or can also be used to recalculate the value of alleged losses in corruption cases.
Sources said no final decision has been taken, and the proposal remains under consideration by NAB’s senior leadership.
