The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is considering a new legal interpretation that could keep a large number of corruption cases within its jurisdiction despite a recent increase in the bureau’s financial threshold.
According to reports, NAB is preparing a proposal that may soon be placed before its Executive Board Meeting for a policy decision.
The move comes after concerns emerged that many ongoing inquiries, investigations, and references could fall outside NAB’s jurisdiction following an inflation-linked increase in the minimum financial threshold from Rs500 million to around Rs800 million.
Under the proposed interpretation, NAB would apply the same inflation formula used to revise its jurisdictional threshold to the alleged amount of financial loss in corruption cases. This would mean the current value of the allegedly embezzled or misappropriated amount would be recalculated using inflation, rather than being assessed at its original value at the time of the alleged offence.
If the adjusted amount exceeds the revised Rs800 million threshold, the case could continue to remain within NAB’s jurisdiction even if the original alleged loss was below the updated limit.
Supporters of the proposal argue that inflation-linked amendments should not benefit only the accused. They say the financial loss caused to an individual, a public institution, or the national exchequer should also be adjusted to reflect its present-day value.
The increase in NAB’s financial threshold follows amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance, which tied the original Rs500 million limit to inflation indices published by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics from July 1, 2022. NAB officials estimate that the revised threshold has now reached approximately Rs800 million.
Legal experts, however, say the proposed interpretation may face judicial scrutiny if challenged in court. They note that the courts would ultimately decide whether the inflation adjustment applies only to NAB’s jurisdictional threshold or can also be used to recalculate the value of alleged financial losses in corruption cases.
Sources said no final decision has been taken so far and the proposal remains under consideration by NAB’s senior leadership.
