The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that it no longer has the authority to hear cases under the amended National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law. The court said the Federal Constitutional Court will now hear principal appeals and bail petitions filed under the revised law. The ruling marks a major change in the judicial process for accountability cases in Pakistan.

Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar announced the short order during the hearing. He said Sections 32 and 32A of the amended NAB law removed the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction over such matters. Therefore, the Federal Constitutional Court will hear all appeals and bail petitions filed under these provisions.

The court also referred to Articles 175A and 175F of the Constitution. It said these provisions require all relevant NAB cases to move to the Federal Constitutional Court. As a result, both pending and future cases under the amended law will now proceed before the constitutional bench.

The ruling came during proceedings on a petition filed by PTI founder Imran Khan against a High Court decision in his bail case. Earlier, the Supreme Court Registrar had returned the petition after raising objections over its maintainability. Friday’s order settled the question of which court has the authority to hear the matter.

Legal experts said the judgment provides clarity on the revised accountability framework. They believe it will guide future NAB cases and reduce jurisdictional disputes between the two courts. The decision also strengthens the role of the Federal Constitutional Court in handling matters arising under the amended NAB law.