PM orders expediting appointment process of NAB chairman

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has issued directives to the law minister for expediting the appointment process of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman, ARY News reported on Saturday.

The law minister has been directed by the premier to expedite the process of appointments of the anti-corruption watchdog’s chairman. Following the orders, the law minister started work on the summary related to the appointment of the new NAB chairman.

Sources told ARY News that the law ministry will forward a summary to President Dr Arif Alvi by Monday.

The president will hold consultations with the prime minister and the opposition leader under the new NAB law. President Dr Arif Alvi will hold written consultation with the opposition leader regarding the names of the new NAB chairman.

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In October, the federal government had said that PM Imran Khan will consult the opposition, not Shehbaz Sharif, the Opposition leader in National Assembly, over the appointment of NAB chairman.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had said that PM Imran Khan will never consult Shehbaz Sharif over the NAB chairman’s appointment and if the opposition wanted consultation over the matter then they should replace the incumbent opposition leader.

Naseem had seconded him, saying that when he called for consultation with the opposition leader, it was the post he was talking about rather than Shehbaz Sharif.

“If Shehbaz Sharif has some decency left then he should resign from his post,” the information minister said.

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Farogh Naseem had said that it was unfortunate that the opposition was doing politics on the NAB ordinance and said that the president will consult the prime minister and opposition leader over the appointment.

“If no consensus is reached between them, the matter will then be sent to a parliamentary committee,” he said adding the body would be formed by the National Assembly’s speaker comprising six members each from opposition and treasury.

He had said that they would mull over the names of the incumbent and former chairmen of the NAB for the slot.