Laws & Acts — Chapter 10

NAB Ordinance 1999 · Prevention of Corruption Act 1947

Why this chapter matters: this is Subject 11’s single-paper chapter — 15 of its 19 bank stems come from one paper, FPSC Assistant Director NAB 2009, which mined the NAB Ordinance section by section (identity, officers, freezing, punishments). That makes it the most predictable chapter in the subject: learn the Ordinance’s own numbers and the 2009 paper’s question types, and the chapter’s whole examinable yield is covered. The second Act in the title is the honest opposite: zero bank stems name the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947 — it is taught here at basics level from the Act text itself (footer), because it is the Act the subject structure ordered and the statute the NAB Ordinance replaced in practice, not because the banks test it yet. If you are sitting an NAB, FIA or anti-corruption paper, Sections 2–4 and 7 are the whole game; for every other paper, the two Acts’ numbers and the Section 10 14-year figure are what get asked.

Boundary (read first): this chapter teaches two separate instruments, not one anti-corruption law: the National Accountability Bureau Ordinance, 1999 (Ordinance XVIII of 1999 — the working accountability statute, with its Bureau, Chairman, Accountability Courts and 14-year punishment) and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947 (Act II of 1947 — the older, pre-NAB bribery statute built on Pakistan Penal Code Sections 161–165). Do not merge them: a question about a 14-year sentence, a Chairman or an Accountability Court is an NAO question; a question about criminal misconduct, a Section 5 presumption or a declaration of assets is a 1947 Act question. It does not teach NAB as current affairs: the Bureau’s current chairman, its current cases and its red notices are Current Affairs items (the two holder/CA stems in the count are flagged in Section 8, not taught as law). And it does not smooth over amendments: the 2009 paper keys the original Ordinance, and two of its answers changed later (the acting-Chairman rule in 2021, the Chairman’s term extension in 2021) — Section 8 keeps original and amended positions apart with dates.

Exam Trend box

• 🔁 Most Repeated: none claimed. The chapter total is 19 unique stems, but only 3 distinct Act papers (FPSC AD NAB 2009, FPSC AD FIA 2013, FPSC Research Assistant 2006) — below the ≥5-paper limb — and 19 stems are far below the ≥100-question aggregate limb. The densest source, AD NAB 2009, contributes 15 stems, but a single paper’s depth is not repetition across papers.
• ⭐ Must Know: none claimed. ⭐ requires 🔁 first, and no 🔁 is earned. The Ordinance’s number (XVIII of 1999), date (16 November 1999) and Section 10’s 14-year punishment are still taught first because they are the chapter’s only cross-paper question types, but without a mark they have not earned.
• 🆕 Newly Appeared / Recent Trend: none claimed. No 2025–26 Act stem exists: the two most recent stems are a Current Affairs red-notice item (CA bank, April 2026) and a holder question (PPSC Sub-Inspector 2021 file), neither of which tests the Ordinance’s provisions. The 2021–2023 amendments are recorded as dated amendment notes, not as a 🆕 mark, because no bank stem yet tests them.

1. The two instruments at a glance

2. NAO — identity, commencement and the Section 9 offence families

• Section 1 — title: the National Accountability Bureau Ordinance, 1999 (No. XVIII of 1999). The preamble records why it was made: effective measures for detection, investigation, prosecution and speedy disposal of corruption cases; recovery of outstanding bank/financial-institution/government dues; recovery of state money misappropriated through corruption and misuse of power — and that it was promulgated by the President under the Proclamation of 14 October 1999 and Provisional Constitution Order No. 1 of 1999 (see the promulgator trap in Section 8).
• Section 2 — commencement (the backdated Ordinance): the Ordinance came into force at once and is deemed to have come into force from the 1st day of January 1985 — the bank stem’s answer, word for word. Learn the pair: promulgated 1999, effective 1985. A question asking “from when is it deemed in force?” wants 1 January 1985, not 1999.
• Section 3 — overriding effect: the Ordinance has effect notwithstanding anything in any other law for the time being in force. Section 4 — application: whole of Pakistan, all persons in Pakistan, and persons who are or have been in the service of Pakistan wherever they may be.
• Section 5 — definitions that papers reuse: “holder of public office” (Section 5(m)) runs from the President and Governors through Prime Minister, Chairman Senate, Speakers, Ministers, Attorney General, Chief Ministers, MPAs/MNAs, civil servants, corporation/bank officers and local-council chairmen — and excludes serving armed-forces members except those holding posts in public corporations/banks. “Assets” (Section 5(c)) means property owned, controlled or belonging to an accused, directly or indirectly, or held benami in a spouse’s, relative’s or associate’s name, for which they cannot reasonably account or prove full lawful consideration. “Wilful default” (Section 5(r)): failure to pay/return/repay a bank, financial institution, cooperative society or government body on the due date, where 30 days have then expired — unless the failure was caused by the creditor’s own wilful breach.
• Section 9(a) — “corruption and corrupt practices” (the offence families, learn the list, not one item): a holder of public office, or any other person, commits the offence if he:
  1. (i) accepts/obtains, or offers, any gratification other than legal remuneration as a motive or reward of the PPC Section 161 kind (doing/forbearing an official act, showing favour/disfavour, rendering a service/disservice);
  2. (ii) accepts/obtains, or offers, any valuable thing without consideration, or for inadequate consideration, from a person concerned in business transacted by him or connected with his official functions;
  3. (iii) dishonestly or fraudulently misappropriates or converts for his own or another’s use any property entrusted to him or under his control, or wilfully allows another to do so;
  4. (iv) by corrupt, dishonest or illegal means obtains or seeks any property, valuable thing or pecuniary advantage for himself, his spouse/dependents or any other person;
  5. (v) owns/possesses property or pecuniary resources disproportionate to his known sources of income, which he cannot reasonably account for (his dependents’/benamidars’ holdings count);
  6. (vi) misuses his authority to gain any benefit or favour for himself or any other person;
  7. (vii) issues any directive, policy or SRO granting a taxation (or other) concession or benefit to himself, a relative, an associate or a benamidar;
  8. (viii) commits an offence of wilful default (Section 5(r)).
• Section 9(b) — bail bar: all offences under the Ordinance are non-bailable, and no Court, including the High Court, has jurisdiction to grant bail to a person accused under it — notwithstanding CrPC Sections 426, 491, 497, 498 and 561A. (Later amendments softened bail practice; the bank-era rule is the bar — see Section 8.)
• Section 9(c)–(d) — custody release and the one-month transfer: where the Chairman decides to release an accused from custody, he weighs the gravity of the charge, and where an amount is specified, no release unless that amount is deposited with NAB (other conditions may also be imposed). The amount so deposited shall be transferred to the Federal Government, the Provincial Government or the concerned bank or financial institution, as the case may be, within one month of the date of deposit — the bank stem’s answer, verified word for word in the Ordinance text.

3. NAO — the officers and the court

• Section 6 — the Bureau and its Chairman: there is a National Accountability Bureau for the whole of Pakistan (Section 6(a)). The Chairman NAB is appointed by the President (Section 6(b)(i)); under the amended Section 6(b), appointment is in consultation with the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, and the Chairman holds office for four years on terms determined by the President, removable only on the grounds for removing a Supreme Court Judge (Article 209) — the bank stem’s “Four-year” answer, verified against the amended text (the original 1999 term was four years non-extendable; the 2021 amendment made a second four-year appointment possible). The Chairman may resign by writing under his hand addressed to the President (Section 6(b)(iii)) — the bank stem’s answer, word for word.
• Section 6(c) — acting Chairman (ORIGINAL rule — read the 2021 change): as and when the Chairman is absent or unable to perform his functions for any reason whatsoever, the Deputy Chairman will act as Chairman, and if the Deputy Chairman is also absent/unable, any other person duly authorised by the Chairman acts. This is the 2009 bank key, and it matches the original text — but the 2021 amendment deleted this provision: under the amended Ordinance the outgoing Chairman continues to act until his successor is formally announced (or he is reappointed). A paper dated 2009 keys Deputy Chairman; a current question keys the outgoing Chairman continuing. Section 8 keeps both dates.
• Section 7 — Deputy Chairman: appointed by the President in consultation with the Chairman NAB; assists the Chairman and performs functions directed by him; serves at the pleasure of the President (Section 7(b)). Headquarters: Islamabad — the bank stem’s answer (the Bureau’s headquarters city; the Ordinance constitutes a Bureau “for the whole of Pakistan” and the Islamabad headquarters is the paper-tested fact).
• Section 8 — Prosecutor General Accountability: appointed by the Chairman NAB (Section 8(a)) — the adjacent 2009 stem’s answer (Section 7). His duties (Section 8(b)): give advice to the Chairman upon such legal matters and perform such other duties of a legal character as the Chairman refers or assigns to him, with a right of audience in all Courts established under the Ordinance and all other Courts and Tribunals in Pakistan — the bank stem’s answer, word for word. Special Prosecutors (Section 8(c)): the Prosecutor General, in consultation with the Attorney General of Pakistan, and with the prior approval of the Chairman NAB, may appoint Special Prosecutors to conduct prosecution of specific cases — the bank stem’s answer, word for word. (Later amendment: the Prosecutor General holds office for a three-year extendable term.)
• Section 5(g) — the Accountability Court: “Court” means an Accountability Court consisting of a Judge appointed by the President after consultation with the Chief Justice of Pakistan through Gazette notification; the Judge is a person who has been a High Court Judge, is or has been a District & Sessions Judge qualified to be a High Court Judge, or a lawyer qualified to be a High Court Judge. Cognizance (Section 18) is taken only on a reference by the Chairman NAB (or an officer duly authorised by him). Trial (Section 16(a)) is exclusive to the Court, heard day to day and disposed of within 30 days.

4. NAO — punishment, freezing, trial and plea bargain

• Section 10(a) — the headline punishment (the chapter’s most-asked figure): a person who commits the offence of corruption and corrupt practices is punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to 14 years, or with fine, or with both, and such of his assets and property as are found disproportionate to his known sources of income, or acquired by money obtained through corruption and corrupt practices (in his name or his dependents’/benamidars’ names), shall be forfeited to the appropriate Government. The FIA 2013 stem keys the short form (“14 years”); the NAB 2009 companion stem keys the full form (“14 years, or with fine, or with both”) — both are the same Section 10(a) sentence.
• Section 10(b) — abettors and beneficiaries: any person giving illegal gratification, or abetting/assisting/aiding a holder of public office, or receiving/holding property obtained through corruption, or benefiting from such assets, falls within Section 10 and is liable to the same or a lesser punishment than the holder of public office, as the Court deems fit.
• Section 11 — fine floor: where a fine is imposed, it shall in no case be less than the gain derived by the accused (or any relative or associate), set off against forfeited or frozen assets and property.
• Section 12 — freezing: the Chairman NAB or the trying Court may, on reasonable grounds, order freezing of the accused’s property, movable or immovable, in his possession or in a relative’s, associate’s or benamidar’s possession (Section 12(a)). A Chairman’s freezing order remains in force not more than 30 days unless confirmed by the Accountability Court. Perishable property (Section 12(d)): if frozen property consists of livestock or is of a perishable nature, the Chairman or the Court may, if proper and expedient, order its immediate sale, with the proceeds deposited with the Chairman or the Court — the bank stem’s rule (its “Both a b” key is unpreserved options and is not taught as a letter answer).
• Section 13 — objection to freezing: the Accountability Court has exclusive jurisdiction over claims/objections against freezing; they must be made within 14 days of the freezing order, extendable by the Court for up to a further 14 days for sufficient cause. No appeal lies against a Section 12 order (Section 13(c)).
• Section 14 — presumptions: where an accused accepted gratification or a valuable thing, it is presumed (unless the contrary is proved) to be a PPC Section 161–163 motive/reward; where he or another on his behalf holds property or pecuniary resources disproportionate to his known sources of income that he cannot satisfactorily account for, the Court shall presume him guilty of corruption/corrupt practices (Section 14(c)) — and a conviction is not invalid merely because it rests solely on that presumption.
• Section 15 — disqualification (do not confuse the two numbers): a person convicted of a scheduled offence stands disqualified for 21 years from seeking, or being elected/chosen/appointed/nominated as, a member or representative of any public office or statutory or local authority (Section 15(a)) — and a person who availed Section 25 (voluntary return/plea bargain) is deemed convicted and disqualified for 21 years likewise. Separately, a person convicted of a Schedule serial-1 offence shall not be granted any public-sector bank/financial-institution loan or advance for 10 years from conviction (Section 15(b)). 21 years = disqualification; 10 years = bank-facility ban.
• Sections 24–26 — arrest, voluntary return and plea bargain: arrest powers sit in Section 24; Section 25 (Voluntary Return / Plea Bargain) lets an accused who returns the assets/gains acquired through corruption be released — by the Chairman if trial has not commenced, by the Court with the Chairman’s consent if it has — with the returned amount’s deposit and transfer governed by the Section 9(d) one-month rule in Section 2.
• Sections 30–31 — obstructing NAB (the two 5-year stems): Section 30 (False evidence etc.) — giving or fabricating false evidence during an inquiry or investigation: imprisonment up to 5 years (bank key: “5 years or less”). Section 31 (Prohibition to hamper investigation) — refusing to answer questions or to provide information to NAB or any other agency when required: imprisonment up to 5 years (bank key: “5 years or less”). The two stems are a matched pair — same figure, adjacent sections; learn them as 30 = false evidence, 31 = hampering/refusal, both 5 years.
• Section 32 — appeal/revision; Section 37 — removal of difficulties (flagged, see Section 8): appeals and revisions lie under Section 32. Section 37 in the 2010-modified text vests the removal-of-difficulties order in the Chairman NAB with the approval of the President; the original 1999 Section 37 vested it in the President. The 2009 paper’s key (“Chief Justice of Pakistan”) matches neither text — Section 8 flags it rather than teaching it.

5. Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947 — the older statute (zero bank stems)

This Act is taught from its own text, at the level the subject structure ordered (“basics papers ask”), because the banks do not yet test it. Do not inflate it to NAO length — its examinable value today is its identity, its Section 5 offence and its relationship to the PPC.

• Section 1 — identity: the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947 (Act II of 1947), dated 11 March 1947, “for the more effective prevention of bribery and corruption”. It extends to the whole of Pakistan and applies to all citizens of Pakistan and persons in the service of Government wherever they may be.
• Section 2 — “public servant”: as defined in PPC Section 21, and includes an employee of any corporation, body or organisation set up, controlled or administered by or under the authority of the Federal Government.
• Section 3 — cognizable bribery offences: offences punishable under PPC Sections 161, 162, 163, 164, 165 and 165-A are deemed cognizable offences for CrPC purposes, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Code. (These are the PPC bribery sections the NAO’s Section 9(a)(i) and Section 14 also borrow — the two statutes share the PPC bribery core; the NAO adds the Bureau, the freezing machinery and the 14-year sentence.)
• Section 4 — presumption: where in a trial for a PPC Section 161 offence it is proved that the accused accepted (or agreed to accept, or attempted to obtain) any gratification other than legal remuneration, or any valuable thing, it is presumed, unless the contrary is proved, that he did so as a motive or reward of the Section 161 kind. (The same presumption idea reappears in NAO Section 14 — the 1947 Act is its ancestor.)
• Section 5 — criminal misconduct (the Act’s core offence): a public servant commits criminal misconduct if he (a) accepts/obtains, or agrees to accept, or attempts to obtain, any gratification other than legal remuneration as a Section 161 motive or reward; (b) accepts, or agrees to accept, any valuable thing without consideration or for inadequate consideration from a person concerned in business transacted by him or connected with his official functions; (c) dishonestly or fraudulently misappropriates or converts for his own use any property entrusted to him or under his control; (d) habitually accepts gratification/valuable things as above; or (e) holds pecuniary resources or property disproportionate to his known sources of income that he cannot satisfactorily account for — with Section 5(3) presuming guilt from unexplained disproportionate possession unless the contrary is proved.
• Section 5(2) — punishment: imprisonment for a term not less than one year but which may extend to seven years, and fine (the court may, for special reasons recorded in writing, award less than one year). Section 5B — declaration of assets: the Act provides for public servants’ declaration of assets. Section 5C — disproportionate property: a public servant possessing movable or immovable property, in his own or another’s name, reasonably believed acquired by improper means and proved disproportionate to his known sources of income, who fails to account for it to the Court’s satisfaction, is punishable with imprisonment up to seven years and fine, and the disproportionate property shall be forfeited to the Provincial Government. Section 6 (previous sanction) is omitted in the current text; Section 7 makes the accused a competent witness in his own trial.
• Why it still matters if the banks don’t test it: the 1947 Act is the statute provincial anti-corruption establishments grew out of, and its Section 5 categories (gratification, valuable thing, misappropriation, disproportionate assets) are the template the NAO’s Section 9(a) expanded. A paper that asks “criminal misconduct” without naming NAB is a 1947 Act question; a paper that asks “corruption and corrupt practices” with a Chairman, a reference or a 14-year sentence is an NAO question.

6. Rapid-fire one-liners

• NAO = Ordinance XVIII of 1999, dated 16 November 1999; deemed in force from 1 January 1985 (Section 2) — promulgated 1999, effective 1985.
• NAO purpose: set up the National Accountability Bureau to eradicate corruption and corrupt practices; applies to the whole of Pakistan and to service persons anywhere (Section 4); overrides other laws (Section 3).
• NAO Section 9(a): gratification, valuable thing, misappropriation, illegal-means advantage, disproportionate assets, misuse of authority, SRO concessions, wilful default — eight families.
• NAO Section 9(b): offences non-bailable; no Court including the High Court may grant bail (bank-era rule).
• NAO Section 9(d): NAB deposits transferred to the Government/bank/FI within one month of deposit.
• NAO Section 10(a): corruption and corrupt practices — up to 14 years rigorous imprisonment, or fine, or both, plus forfeiture of disproportionate assets.
• NAO Section 11: fine not less than the gain derived by the accused or his relative/associate.
• NAO Section 12: freezing by Chairman or Court; Chairman’s order 30 days unless confirmed by the Court; livestock/perishable property sold immediately; Section 13 objection within 14 days (+14 more).
• NAO Section 14: presumption from gratification accepted and from disproportionate resources unexplained.
• NAO Section 15: conviction = disqualified 21 years; Schedule serial-1 conviction = no public-sector bank loan/advance for 10 years.
• NAO Section 16(a): Accountability Court trial exclusive, day to day, within 30 days; cognizance only on the Chairman’s reference (Section 18).
• NAO Section 6: Chairman appointed by the President (with Leader of the House / Leader of the Opposition consultation), four-year term, resigns to the President; Deputy Chairman acts only under the original rule (2021: outgoing Chairman continues).
• NAO Section 8: Prosecutor General appointed by the Chairman, advises him on legal matters, right of audience everywhere; Special Prosecutors appointed by the PG in consultation with the Attorney General, with the Chairman’s prior approval.
• NAO Sections 30–31: false evidence up to 5 years; refusing to answer/provide information up to 5 years.
• NAO Section 25: Voluntary Return / Plea Bargain — return the gains, be released (Chairman before trial, Court with Chairman’s consent during trial); Section 25 beneficiaries are deemed convicted for the 21-year disqualification.
• PCA 1947 = Act II of 1947, 11 March 1947; Section 3 makes PPC Sections 161–165, 165-A cognizable; Section 5 criminal misconduct = 1–7 years + fine; Section 5C disproportionate property = up to 7 years + fine + forfeiture to the Provincial Government; Section 7 accused is a competent witness.

7. Most-asked facts (the bank stems, verbatim in substance)

From FPSC Assistant Director NAB 2009 (15 stems — the chapter’s core):

1. “NAB Ordinance was passed by president on ___” — November 16, 1999. The Ordinance’s date in the reproduced text is 16 November 1999; “passed by president” is the paper’s phrasing for promulgation (see the promulgator trap in Section 8).
2. “National Accountability Bureau Ordinance 1999 was promulgated by ___” — Pervez Musharraf (bank key, spelled “Musharaf” in the file). Taught with the qualification in Section 8: formally promulgated by the President under the 14 October 1999 Proclamation; Musharraf was the Chief Executive at the time — the paper’s key names the ruler, not the formal promulgator.
3. “NAB Ordinance shall come into force at once and shall be deemed to have come into force from the ___” — 1st day of January 1985 (Section 2, word for word).
4. “The President of Pakistan, in consultation with the ___, is competent to make any order for the purpose of removing any difficulties in respect of NAB Ordinance” — Chief Justice of Pakistan (bank key). Flagged, not followed blindly (Section 8): the reproduced Section 37 text vests the order in the Chairman NAB with the President’s approval (2010-modified text) or the President (original text) — neither names the CJP. CJP consultation belongs to the Accountability Court Judge’s appointment (Section 5(g)), not to Section 37.
5. “The Chairman NAB may resign his office by writing under his hand addressed to: ___” — President of Pakistan (Section 6(b)(iii), word for word).
6. “As and when the Chairman NAB is absent or unable to perform the functions of his office due to any reason whatsoever, ___ will act as the Chairman NAB” — Deputy Chairman NAB (Section 6(c), original text, word for word — with the 2021 amendment noted in Section 8).
7. “Who give advice to the Chairman NAB upon such legal matters and perform such other duties of a legal character as may be referred or assigned to him by the Chairman NAB…” — Prosecutor General Accountability (Section 8(b), word for word, including the right of audience in all Courts).
8. ”___, in consultation with the Attorney General of Pakistan, may, with prior approval of the Chairman NAB, appoint Special Prosecutors to conduct prosecution of specific cases” — Prosecutor General Accountability (Section 8(c), word for word).
9. “Headquarters National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is at: ___” — Islamabad, Pakistan.
10. “The National Accountability Bureau was established on ___” — November 16, 1999 (same date as stems 1–2; the Bureau’s constitution under Section 6(a) follows the Ordinance).
11. “The Chairman is the head of investigation, and serves for the term of ___” — Four-year (amended Section 6(b); original term four years non-extendable, 2021 amendment allows a second four-year appointment).
12. “The amount deposited by the accused with the NAB shall be transferred to the Federal Government or, as the case may be, a Provincial Government or the concerned bank or financial institution, etc., within ___ of the date of such deposit” — One month (Section 9(d), word for word).
13. “If the property ordered to be frozen consists of livestock or is of a perishable nature, ___ may, if it deems proper and expedient, order the immediate sale thereof…” — Both a b (bank key, options not preserved). Taught as the rule, not the letter: the Chairman NAB or the Court may order immediate sale, proceeds deposited with the Chairman or the Court (Section 12(d)).
14. “What is the punishment for Refuses to answer questions, or to provide information to the National Accountability Bureau or any other agency when required to do so?” — 5 years or less (Section 31, hampering investigation).
15. “What is the punishment for Giving or fabricating false evidence during inquiry, investigation of an offence by the National Accountability Bureau or any agency?” — 5 years or less (Section 30, false evidence).

From FPSC Assistant Director FIA 2013 (1 stem):

16. “Under the National Accountability Bureau Ordinance, 1999, a person who commits the offence of corruption shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to: ___” — 14 years (Section 10(a), short form of “14 years, or with fine, or with both”).

From FPSC Research Assistant, Planning & Development 2006 (1 stem — flagged):

17. “NAB was created?” — November 1, 1999 (bank key). Not taught as a date (Section 8): it conflicts with the Ordinance’s own date (16 November 1999) and with the 2009 paper’s two 16-November keys. No source in this run supports 1 November 1999 as NAB’s creation date; the chapter teaches 16 November 1999.

Two same-paper companions from AD NAB 2009 (adjacent in the script count, verified and taught — see Section 11):

18. “A person who commits the offence of corruption and corrupt practices shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to: ___” — 14 years, or with fine, or with both (Section 10(a), full form — the companion of stem 16; it fell in the script’s adjacent set only because its text and topic name no Act, but it is the same Ordinance sentence from the same paper).
19. “Who appoints Prosecutor General Accountability?” — Chairman NAB (Section 8(a) — the companion of stem 7; same reason for the adjacent classification).

Counted in the script but NOT taught as Act law (see Section 11):

• “Recently NAB issued a red notice against?” — Malik Riaz (gk360 CA bank, April 2026). A Current Affairs item about the Bureau’s current work, not a provision of either Act — it belongs in Current Affairs, not in this chapter’s law.
• “Who is the current Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)?” — Nazir Ahmed Butt (PPSC Sub-Inspector Punjab Police 2021 file). Not taught as a holder answer: a 2021 paper cannot key a chairman appointed in 2023, so the file’s year or key is unreliable; holder names change and are Current Affairs, not Act law. No holder name is taught in this chapter.

8. Traps & confusions

• XVIII-1999 vs II-1947: NAO is the 18th Ordinance of 1999; PCA is the 2nd Act of 1947. The numbers and the centuries are the cheapest swap in the chapter — 18/99 = NAB, 2/47 = corruption Act.
• 1999 vs 1985: promulgated 16 November 1999, deemed in force 1 January 1985. A question asking “when did it come into force?” wants 1985 if it quotes Section 2’s deeming language, and 1999 if it asks the Ordinance’s date — read the verb.
• Promulgator trap: the 2009 key says Musharraf; the Ordinance’s preamble says the President promulgated it under the 14 October 1999 Proclamation, and Musharraf held the office of Chief Executive (the Deputy Chairman’s appointing authority in Section 5(j) is literally “the Chief Executive”). Answer a paper’s key with Musharraf if the paper asks “promulgated by” in the 2009 paper’s sense; know the formal promulgator is the President.
• 1 November 1999 is not a date in this chapter: the 2006 paper’s “NAB was created? November 1, 1999” key is flagged, not taught — the Ordinance is dated 16 November 1999 and the 2009 paper keys that date twice. If a paper repeats the 2006 key, it is repeating the bank’s error, and the chapter says so plainly rather than teaching both dates as if both were true.
• Deputy Chairman acts — original vs amended: 2009 key = Deputy Chairman acts (Section 6(c) original). Current law = the 2021 amendment deleted Section 6(c); the outgoing Chairman continues until his successor is announced. Date your answer: pre-2021 paper → Deputy Chairman; current position → outgoing Chairman continues.
• Section 37’s CJP key is the chapter’s planted error: the 2009 key names the Chief Justice of Pakistan for removal of difficulties, but the reproduced Section 37 names no CJP — the 2010-modified text says Chairman NAB with the President’s approval, the original says the President. CJP consultation does exist in the Ordinance — at Section 5(g), for appointing the Accountability Court’s Judge — and that is almost certainly where the stem’s key borrowed it from. Do not carry CJP into Section 37.
• 21 years vs 10 years (Section 15): conviction → disqualified 21 years (Section 15(a)); Schedule serial-1 conviction → no public-sector bank loan/advance for 10 years (Section 15(b)). The two figures answer different questions; swapping them is the Section 15 trap.
• 14 years vs 5 years vs 7 years: NAO Section 10 corruption = 14 years; NAO Sections 30–31 obstruction = 5 years; PCA Section 5 criminal misconduct = 7 years (1-year floor). The Act decides the figure: 14 = NAO, 5 = NAO obstruction, 7 = 1947 Act.
• 14 days vs 30 days: freezing objection = 14 days (+14 more) (Section 13); Chairman’s freezing order lasts 30 days unless confirmed (Section 12 proviso); trial disposal = 30 days (Section 16(a)); wilful default = 30 days past due (Section 5(r)); deposit transfer = one month (Section 9(d)). Five different clocks — the section, not the number, decides.
• “Corruption and corrupt practices” (NAO Section 9) vs “criminal misconduct” (PCA Section 5): the NAO phrase is the 1999 Ordinance’s offence; “criminal misconduct” is the 1947 Act’s offence. A stem using “criminal misconduct” is a PCA stem even if it mentions corruption generally.
• Holder answers are not law: the 2021-file “Nazir Ahmed Butt” key and the April 2026 red-notice stem are not taught here. Holders and cases change; the Ordinance’s sections do not. A student who learns a holder from a bank key will be wrong within a term; a student who learns Section 10’s 14 years will be right in every paper.

9. Memory tricks

• “18-99, 2-47”: NAO is XVIII of 1999, PCA is II of 1947 — the two instruments in four digits.
• “99 made, 85 backdated”: promulgated 1999, deemed from 1985 — the Ordinance looks fourteen years backwards.
• “6 runs, 8 prosecutes, 9 defines, 10 punishes”: Section 6 the Bureau/Chairman, Section 8 the Prosecutor General, Section 9 the offence, Section 10 the 14-year punishment — the NAO’s spine in four numbers.
• “14-30-14-14”: Section 10 14 years; Section 12 Chairman’s freezing order 30 days; Section 13 objection 14 days; Section 15 disqualification 21 years — no, keep it clean: “10 is 14, 12 is 30, 13 is 14, 15 is 21” — Section 10 = 14 years, Section 12 = 30 days, Section 13 = 14 days, Section 15 = 21 years.
• “30 false, 31 hamper, both 5”: Section 30 false evidence, Section 31 hampering/refusal — both up to 5 years.
• “One month to move the money”: Section 9(d) — deposits with NAB move to the Government or bank within one month; if you remember nothing else about Section 9’s tail, remember one month.
• “PCA 5 is 7”: the 1947 Act’s Section 5 criminal misconduct = up to 7 years; its Section 5C disproportionate property = up to 7 years too — the 1947 Act’s figure is 7 wherever the NAO’s is 14.

10. Visuals (site build specs — declared only, never generated)

• Two-instrument identity card: one side-by-side table (number, date, purpose, extent, forum, headline punishment) placed after Section 1, with the XVIII-1999 / II-1947 pair highlighted.
• Section 9(a) offence-family wheel: one diagram of the eight families (gratification, valuable thing, misappropriation, illegal-means advantage, disproportionate assets, misuse of authority, SRO concessions, wilful default) placed after Section 2, with the PPC Section 161 link on the first family.
• Officer ladder: Chairman (President, 4 years) → Deputy Chairman → Prosecutor General → Special Prosecutors, with the 2021 acting-Chairman change flagged as a dated amendment note, placed after Section 3.
• Punishment ladder: one stepped diagram — Section 10 14 years → Section 11 fine floor → Section 15 21-year disqualification / 10-year bank ban → Sections 30–31 5 years → PCA Section 5 7 years — placed after Section 4, with the 14/5/7 trio called out.
• Freezing clock strip: one timeline — freezing order → 30-day Chairman limit → 14-day objection (+14) → perishable immediate sale → one-month deposit transfer — placed after Section 4.

11. Practice this topic — bank count, marks evidence and counting honesty

• Practice set: subject=laws + topic tags of Subject 11 Topic 10 (NAB Ordinance 1999, Prevention of Corruption Act 1947, accountability), with the script-recomputed count below. Until further post packs convert, the site serves this stem set for the chapter; the Acts’ sections are taught from the Act texts (footer), not from bank frequency — and the 1947 Act’s section is taught with zero stems behind it, stated openly.
• Script: hidden_files/goldmine-notes-count-la10.py (mirrors LA-09). Scan: 575 files / 55,886 questions (FPSC site bank, PPSC site files, gk360 archive, CSS/monster conversions, gk360 monthly CA bank, gk360-papers archive; overlaps between banks included, as in the audit). Note the scan grew by 1 file / 19 questions since LA-09’s 574 files / 55,867 — the count below is from this run’s scan, not carried forward.
• Count: 22 rows, 19 unique stems in scope, from 5 distinct files — FPSC Assistant Director NAB 2009 (15 stems: Ordinance identity, officers, freezing, punishments), FPSC Assistant Director FIA 2013 (1 stem: Section 10 14 years), FPSC Research Assistant Planning & Development 2006 (1 stem: “NAB was created?”, flagged in Sections 7–8), gk360 CA bank April 2026 (1 stem: red notice, not Act law), PPSC Sub-Inspector Punjab Police 2021 file (1 stem: holder question, not Act law). Act-law stems: 17 (15 + 1 + 1). Adjacent, stated not counted: 31 rows — generic corruption/accountability rows naming no Act (English fill-ins, CPI rankings, CA items, PPC misappropriation stems), plus 2 same-paper NAB companions counted separately below.
• Same-paper companions (taught, counted transparently): 2 further AD NAB 2009 stems fell in the script’s adjacent set only because their text and topic name no Act — the Section 10 full-form stem (“14 years, or with fine, or with both”) and the PG-appointment stem (“Who appoints Prosecutor General Accountability? — Chairman NAB”). Both are verified against the Ordinance text (Section 10(a), Section 8(a)) and taught in Section 7 as stems 18–19. Taught Ordinance stems therefore total 19 (17 in-scope Act stems + 2 companions); the headline bankCount stays 19 unique in-scope stems, not 21, so the count and the teaching are never conflated.
• Marks, derived from the count above: 🔁 none — 3 distinct Act papers and 19 stems are below both limbs (≥5 papers, ≥100 questions). ⭐ none — ⭐ requires 🔁 first. 🆕 none — no 2025–26 Act stem exists; the April 2026 red-notice stem is Current Affairs, not an Act trend, and no stem tests the 2021–2023 amendments. The front-matter therefore carries repeated, mustKnow and newTrend all empty — the same honest no-mark result as LA-02 and LA-09, stated rather than padded.
• Bank-file notes: (1) the Section 2 (1 January 1985), Section 6(b)(iii) (resignation to President), Section 6(c) (Deputy Chairman acts), Section 8(b)–(c) (PG advice, Special Prosecutors), Section 9(d) (one-month transfer), Section 10(a) (14 years) and Section 12(d) (perishable sale) stems were verified word-for-word against the reproduced Ordinance text (nasirlawsite 2014 text) and are taught, not merely repeated; (2) the Section 37 stem’s key (“Chief Justice of Pakistan”) matches neither the original nor the 2010-modified Section 37 text and is flagged in Sections 7–8 — CJP consultation belongs to Section 5(g) (Accountability Court Judge), not Section 37; (3) the 2006 “November 1, 1999” creation key conflicts with the Ordinance’s 16 November 1999 date and the 2009 paper’s two 16-November keys, and is flagged, not taught; (4) the “promulgated by Pervez Musharraf” key is the paper’s naming of the era’s ruler — formally the President promulgated the Ordinance under the 14 October 1999 Proclamation, Musharraf being Chief Executive — and is taught with that qualification; (5) the freezing stem’s “Both a b” key is unpreserved options and is taught as the Section 12(d) rule, not as a letter answer; (6) the Section 15 21-year disqualification figure is taken from the reproduced Ordinance text (Section 15(a)), correcting a secondary summary that gave 10 years — 10 years is Section 15(b)‘s bank-facility ban, not the disqualification; (7) the 2021 deletion of Section 6(c) (outgoing Chairman continues) and the 2021 extension of the Chairman’s term are stated from secondary reporting (Business Recorder 2021 amendment coverage), not from a reproduced amended text, and are flagged as amendment notes; (8) PCA Section 5(2)‘s “not less than one year, up to seven years” and Section 5C’s “up to seven years + forfeiture to the Provincial Government” are taken from the reproduced 1947 Act text summaries (nasirlawsite/faolex), since no bank stem tests them.
• Book mode: ← Previous: Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 · PECA 2016 · Next: Civil Servants Act 1973 · PPRA Rules 2004 →

Goldmine Notes · Laws & Acts · Chapter 10 · Sources: National Accountability Bureau Ordinance, 1999 (Ordinance XVIII of 1999), reproduced Ordinance text (nasirlawsite.com, 2014 update) — Sections 1–2, 4–6, 8–16, 25, 30–32, 37 as cited, Sections 2, 6(b)(iii), 6(c), 8(b)–(c), 9(d), 10(a), 12(d), 13(a), 15(a)–(b), 16(a) verified word-for-word in this run; 2021 amendment effects (deletion of Section 6(c), Chairman term extension) from Business Recorder 2021 amendment coverage, flagged as secondary reporting; Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947 (Act II of 1947), reproduced Act text (nasirlawsite.com / faolex.fao.org PDF) — Sections 1–5, 5B–5C, 6–7 as cited; bank stems and counts by script hidden_files/goldmine-notes-count-la10.py (575 files / 55,886 questions, output hidden_files/goldmine-notes-la10-counts.json). No converted post-pack material beyond the bank files was used, and no raw monster-pack content was used. Standard answers only; bank-file disagreements are flagged in Sections 7–8 and above, never silently followed.