Islamabad: Corrupt politicians in Pakistan could no longer be punished by the countrys anti-graft watchdog with president Asif Ali Zardari giving a go-ahead for amending the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law.

The approval was given on Saturday after law minister Farooq H Naek briefed president Zardari on the amendments proposed, a media report said.

If implemented, only the parliament would have the power to hold politicians accountable for their wrongdoings. However, the president urged a debate by the cabinet on the issue before incorporating the proposed amendments, The News quoted sources as saying.

Only corruption references of government officials would now be sent to NAB while parliament would hold the accountability of parliamentarians and politicians by constituting a special committee.

NAB chairman Naveed Ahsan would also be replaced and the new interim chairman would be named by the prime minister soon.

According to the proposed amendments, all the accountability courts would be abolished and cases would be tried in regular courts that work under the high courts, the sources said.

It was also proposed that NAB's authority to send corruption references directly to courts should be taken back and the references be sent through the law ministry to the regular courts.

The sources said all those laws, which were being described as discriminatory by political parties since the promulgation of the NAB Ordinance, would be removed under the new amendments proposed by the law minister.

Source : Central