LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday raised an objection to an application against the National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019, disseminated by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government.

The law was promulgated through a presidential ordinance on Friday bringing significant improvements to the accountability law known as the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.

The court mentioned that the petition could not be set right for an immediate hearing due winter holidays, and it could only be heard post-holidays.

The previous day, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi clarified that the ordinance did not aim to provide a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), relief or protection to anyone.

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In his conversation with the media in Multan, the minister pointed out that the review of the anti-graft agency’s jurisdiction was demanded by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

“The amendment has not been made to protect corruption […] on one hand, it was being said that investors were not investing [in the country ,” he said.

Mr Qureshi expressed grief over opposition’s claim of dysfunctional economic (policies of the government), and refusing to comply with economic affairs simultaneously.

“Government’s measures are criticized for economic stability [of the state],” he added, while regretting that criticism without precise study of a particular topic has become common in our society.