CPEC Authority Chairman to Have Immunity from NAB FIA Investigations under Proposed Law.

 CPEC Authority Chairman to Have Immunity from NAB FIA Investigations under Proposed Law.

A new law to replace the defunct China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority Ordinance is on the cards, according to media reports.

The News quoted sources as saying that that the proposed draft of the new law approved by the Cabinet Committee for Legislation Affairs grants immunity to CPEC Authority Chairman from all kinds of investigations carried out by National Accountability Bureau NAB and Federal Investigation Agency FIA. Under the new bill, the CPEC Authority will report directly to the prime minister instead of the Ministry of Planning and Development. The post of chief executive will be removed under the new bill.

The report further says that some powers of the CPEC Authority chairman, including his authority to form business council, have been withdrawn in the draft bill.

It is worth mentioning that Asim Saleem Bajwa chairman of the now defunct CPEC Authority, was accused of financial misdoing in an investigative story about alleged suspicious growth of his family’s wealth. Opposition parties have demand an investigation into the report and said that Asim Bajwa should come clean on the allegations. Bajwa denied the allegations in a rebuttal, but chose not to go to court.

The CPEC Authority Ordinance, 2019 was promulgated by the president last year for the formation of the ‘China Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority (CPECA). In January 2020, the National Assembly passed a resolution by the government to extend the ordinance for 120 days. But as of now, the ordinance no longer exists as it was not further extended by the government.