IHC dismisses petition challenging appointment of Shahzad Akbar

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday dismissed a writ petition against the appointment of Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah announced a nine-page long verdict on the petition moved by Syed Pervaiz Zahoor. He had reserved the verdict after a preliminary hearing of the case.

The petitioner alleged that Shahzad Akbar is illegally exercising powers and through abuse of his authority he is influencing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and other investigating agencies.

He requested the court to declare the appointment of Shahzad Akbar as Chairman Assets Recovery Unit and Adviser on NAB as null and void.

“The petitioner has not placed on record any material in support of his contention that respondent no.3 [Shahzad Akbar] may have interfered with the matters which exclusively fall within the domain of the Bureau under the Ordinance of 1999 or the Agency under the Act of 1973,” read the verdict.

“There is also nothing on record to indicate that the rights of the petitioner have been prejudiced by an act of the respondent so as to treat him as an aggrieved person for the purpose of Article 199 of the Constitution.”