Plea filed in LHC to stop NAB chairman appointment

LAHORE: A plea has been filed in Lahore High Court (LHC) to stop the appointment of new National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman, ARY News reported on Monday.

As per details, the plea was filed by advocate Azhar Sadiq in Lahore High Court against the appointment of new chairman NAB.

The plea stated that notices has been issued on the appointment of the opposition leader Raja Riaz and the new chairman NAB has resigned from his post.

The chairman National Accountability Bureau is appointed with the consultation of the Prime Minister and opposition leader but a letter has been sent to President and speaker National Assembly that the appointment of opposition leader is not under the law.

The plea further stated that the PTI has already written a letter that they want to bring their opposition leader. So whatever consultation the current opposition leader holds will be unconstitutional.

Hence, the Lahore High Court (LHC) was urged to stop the appointment of the chairman NAB.

Earlier, the federal government appointed Zahir Shah as acting National Accountability Bureau chairman.

It is pertinent to mention that on February 22, Aftab Sultan resigned as the National Accountability Bureau chairman citing personal reasons. Sultan had presented his resignation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Sources revealed that Aftab Sultan resigned from his office after “he was asked to do certain things which were not acceptable to him.”

Sources further disclosed that Sultan had some reservations over National Accountability (Amendment) Act, 2022 which has limited the anti-corruption watchdog’s powers.

Aftab Sultan, former Director General (DG) of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), was appointed as chairman National Accountability Bureau last year in July by the PDM government. He had replaced Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, who remained NAB chairman for four years and three months.