27th Amendment: PPP demanded lifetime immunity for president, abolition of NAB

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) reportedly sought lifelong immunity for the president and the dissolution of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) during talks with the PML-N about the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

Under Article 248 of the Constitution, the president is currently protected from criminal proceedings during his tenure, and similar protection applies to provincial governors while they hold office.

This constitutional clause prevents the initiation or continuation of criminal cases while the office is occupied.

According to a report in an English daily, the PPP pressed for an expansion of this safeguard, seeking immunity for the president that would remain in force even after leaving office.

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In addition, the PPP reiterated its longstanding call for the abolition of NAB, a demand rooted in the Charter of Democracy (CoD) signed in 2006 by the PPP and PMLN. The charter had set out a commitment by both parties to replace NAB with an independent accountability mechanism operating under parliamentary supervision.

The PPP views this as an essential component of reforms still awaiting implementation.

The parliamentary committee reviewing the amendment is expected to refine the draft after evaluating recommendations and will subsequently submit its findings to both the Senate and National Assembly.