SC dismisses contempt petition against NAB chairman

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) on Monday dismissed contempt of court plea against National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman Justice retired Javed Iqbal.

A three-member bench of the SC headed by Justice Umar Atta Bandial, comprising Justice Mazhar Aalam and Justice Qazi Ameen took up the plea.

The appeal was filed by a redient named Ahsan Abid against non-completion of NAB inquiry against Federal Minister Khusro Bakhtiar.

The applicant had stated that the NAB has failed to complete an inquiry against Khusro Bakhtiar despite the announcement of completing the same in March, last year. Contempt of court hearing should be initiated against the chairman NAB as he failed to complete within three months.

To this, Justice Mazhar Aalam asked the lawyer of the applicant: “Where in the law it is written to slap contempt charges over failing to complete inquiry.”

Read more: SC throws out petition against Khusro Bakhtiar, brother

How come the Supreme Court can initiate contempt of court proceedings, when the Lahore High Court (LHC) is not taken any action, remarked Justice Qazi Ameen.

During the hearing, the NAB prosecutor apprised the court that a decision on the inquiry report will be taken in the executive board meeting of the graft-buster body.

Later, the court dismissed the plea by declaring it as non-maintainable.