Skipping Panama case hearing, NAB chairman leaves for China
- By Web Desk -
- Nov 07, 2016
ISLAMABAD: Chairman National Accountability Bureau Qamar Zaman Chaudhary has ‘unexpectedly’ left for China and will miss the crucial hearing of the Panama Papers case at the apex court today, ARY News reported.
Mr. Chaudhary was supposed to appear before the Supreme Court today (November 7) in a case pertaining to Panama Papers.
Sources informed that two other members of the bureau also accompanied the NAB chairman on his visit.
It is learnt that Chaudhary will attend a symposium in China on November 9. In the earlier hearing of Panama Papers, the court had rejected a reply filed by NAB and asked it to resubmit its response on Nov 7.
On Wednesday last, Prosecutor General Waqas Qadeer Dar had told the court that it was beyond the scope of the NAB to probe Panama Papers leaks which involved members of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s family.
The bench, headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, expressed dismay over the NAB’s stance on the issue and called its reply disappointing.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed asked the prosecutor general to read Section 9(5) of NAO that allowed the authority to probe cases against any public office holder accused of amassing wealth beyond a known source of income.