Shah rejects rumours of underhand dealings in appointment of NAB chief

Urges opposition parties to avoid making selection controversial


Correspondent October 10, 2017
PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD: Rejecting rumours of underhand dealings in the appointment of Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal as the new National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman, Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah on Monday urged opposition parties to avoid making the selection controversial.

“Opposition has not yet objected to the appointment of the new NAB chairman, who is a non-controversial personality,” Shah told media-persons, while clearing the air, at the Parliament House.

Hot seat: Justice Javed Iqbal new NAB chief

The NAB chairman enjoys an excellent reputation … nobody dare dictate him,” he warned.

He said the names provided by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan for the post of the new NAB chairman were also pondered upon during his meeting with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

He vowed to make better decisions for the betterment of the country, adding that conspiracies could be foiled with the help of parliament.

New NAB chief: PTI forwards names of three nominees

Responding to a question, he expressed hope that he and Premier Abbasi would also decide about the caretaker set-up after completion of the tenure of the current assemblies in June 2018.

Justice (retd) Iqbal was appointed the new NAB chief on Sunday.

A notification issued by the government had stated that President Mamnoon Hussain appointed Iqbal as the new NAB chairman for a period of four years after consultations with PM Abbasi and Shah.

NAB chief’s selection: PTI rejects govt, opposition nominees

Justice (retd) Iqbal’s name was among a list of three – along with Justice (retd) Faqeer Muhammad Khokhar and former secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan Ishtiak Ahmad.

The government had suggested the names of Justice (retd) Rehmat Jafri, Justice (retd) Ijaz Chaudhry and Intelligence Bureau Director General Aftab Sultan.

Justice (retd) Iqbal had retired from the Supreme Court in 2011. He had refused to take oath on a Provisional Constitutional Order in November 2007 and as a result was removed from his position during the regime of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf. However, in 2009 he was reinstated as an SC judge.

Corruption major hurdle in progress: NAB chief

In 2012, Justice (retd) Iqbal was appointed as head of the Abbottabad Inquiry Commission tasked to investigate the circumstances surrounding the US raid and killing of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. The 700-page report compiled by him in 2013 was never made public by the government.

He also served as the chairman of a judicial commission mandated to trace missing persons.

Justice (retd) Iqbal will formally assume the office on October 10 upon the completion of the four-year term of outgoing NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry.

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