Accountability Bureau: Islamabad’s view sought by April 11
Petitioner wants Mahmood to stop working as director general.
LAHORE:
A division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday sought a reply from the federal government by April 11 in an application requesting the court to restrain Punjab National Accountability Bureau (NAB) director general (DG) Rana Zahid Mahmood from working till a decision in the case pending against his appointment.
Petitioner Shah Faisal Qureshi filed the application though his counsel Muhammad Azhar Siddique in his already pending petition against the appointment of Mahmood.
The court admitted the application and fixed it for a hearing on April 11 along with the main petition and sought a reply from the federal government.
The applicant submitted that the DG had continued to take illegal actions against him while his case was pending in court.
Qureshi said that he was directly effected by Mahmood’s actions and after challenging his appointment he feared that the DG would be prejudiced against him in the case pending against him for inquiry with the NAB.
Siddique submitted that Mahmood’s appointment was made on contract in violation of the rules and regulations. He said the appointment was illegal and unlawful and liable to be declared null and void.
He said the appointment was also in violation of the Supreme Court’s (SC’s) judgment and the Constitution.
He said that the respondent had been removed as a judge from the LHC after a SC judgment on the petition of the Sindh High Court Bar Association.
He alleged that Mahmood was a relative of Rana Qaiser Nazir, an accused in the Canal Motors case which was being investigated by the NAB.
He said the matter had been reported to the NAB chairman and the Punjab inspector general but to no avail.
The petitioner prayed that the court declare Mahmood’s appointment as unconstitutional.
He also prayed that directions be issued for the transfer of the investigation of the Canal Motors case to the previous investigation officer Rana Waqas.
The petition was filed by several people affected by the Canal Motors scam which is being investigated by the NAB.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2011.
A division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday sought a reply from the federal government by April 11 in an application requesting the court to restrain Punjab National Accountability Bureau (NAB) director general (DG) Rana Zahid Mahmood from working till a decision in the case pending against his appointment.
Petitioner Shah Faisal Qureshi filed the application though his counsel Muhammad Azhar Siddique in his already pending petition against the appointment of Mahmood.
The court admitted the application and fixed it for a hearing on April 11 along with the main petition and sought a reply from the federal government.
The applicant submitted that the DG had continued to take illegal actions against him while his case was pending in court.
Qureshi said that he was directly effected by Mahmood’s actions and after challenging his appointment he feared that the DG would be prejudiced against him in the case pending against him for inquiry with the NAB.
Siddique submitted that Mahmood’s appointment was made on contract in violation of the rules and regulations. He said the appointment was illegal and unlawful and liable to be declared null and void.
He said the appointment was also in violation of the Supreme Court’s (SC’s) judgment and the Constitution.
He said that the respondent had been removed as a judge from the LHC after a SC judgment on the petition of the Sindh High Court Bar Association.
He alleged that Mahmood was a relative of Rana Qaiser Nazir, an accused in the Canal Motors case which was being investigated by the NAB.
He said the matter had been reported to the NAB chairman and the Punjab inspector general but to no avail.
The petitioner prayed that the court declare Mahmood’s appointment as unconstitutional.
He also prayed that directions be issued for the transfer of the investigation of the Canal Motors case to the previous investigation officer Rana Waqas.
The petition was filed by several people affected by the Canal Motors scam which is being investigated by the NAB.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2011.