Top court summons graft watchdog chief

NAB chairman asked to explain induction of nine officials

ISLAMABAD: The top court has summoned chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on March 27 to explain the induction of nine officers in violation of laws.

The three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim, hearing a suo motu case regarding the illegal appointment in NAB has asked the bureau’s counsel Khwaja Haris to go through the report of secretary establishment and submit a report by Monday.

He asked the legal counsel to explain whether the officers appointed on certain posts had the perquisite qualification and also state whether these officers were entitled for promotion.

The court appreciated the hard work done by secretary establishment by submitting a report and asked him to provide copies of the report to NAB and other parties.

The bench noted that according to the report submitted by secretary establishment nine of the officers were taken by NAB without proper qualification for the said posts.



Expressing lack of confidence on NAB, Justice Qazi Faiz Isa asked Khwaja Haris to submit a report with his signature.

Justice Isa further observed that if NAB wasn’t competent to file a report how it could conduct an investigation. “A person who is not a competent was asked to prepare a chart overnight,” Justice Isa remarked.

The judge also wondered how appointing retired military officials could benefit NAB.

Khawaja Haris told the bench that NAB had already formed a committee to review all the appointments. However, the bench observed that the committee included of officials whose eligibility  was also under question.

The counsel however assured the bench that a report will be submitted by Monday.

Earlier, the Establishment Division had questioned over appointments of 273 NAB officials between BPS-16 and BPS-22.

The Establishment Division had submitted a report in suo motu case against alleged illegalities, contraventions and violations in appointment within NAB.

The report states that between 2003 and 2015, a total of 629 appointments on regular basis were made in BPS-16 to BPS-21, however, inconsistencies were observed in 101 cases. Out of the 101 cases, 76 were those where the candidates had not acquired experience purely in the fields of investigations, inquiries, research and legal matters. The rest of the cases were related to issues of qualifications and obtaining experience certificates after appointments.



It is submitted that NAB’s selection board during 2003 to 2016 had considered 15 cases for promotion to the post of director general (BPS-21). “Out of these promotion cases, inconsistencies were observed in four cases vis-à-vis conditions for promotion to selection posts as per MAQ of NAB”

Similarly, NAB’s selection board considered 64 cases for promotion to the post of Director (BPS-20). However establishment division observed inconsistencies in 25 cases.

Out of these 25 cases, secretary establishment submitted, 18 cases were those wherein qualifying service of the officers in NAB was less than the prescribed length while seven cases were those in which officers promoted had not completed the mandatory training.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2017.