PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI: The proceedings for several billion-rupee corruption references are being delayed due to the resignations of six regional prosecutors of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
As a temporary solution, NAB has acquired the services of junior prosecutors for the job. No senior prosecutor is appearing before the courts and it is feared that the outcome of corruption references may be severely affected if the situation remains the same.
The prosecutors, including Zahid Hussain Boledi, Razzaq Dino Kalhoro, Kailash Ashok Waswani, Niaz Hussain Meerani, Khalid Mehmood Awan and Humayun Hameed, resigned because their salaries and other concessions had not been increased.
These prosecutors argued that they would not accept new contracts without new packages. The salaries for NAB prosecutors range from Rs110,000 to Rs140,000, but they demand that their packages be increased to those of their counterparts working in the office of attorney-general.
NAB cannot be silenced or threatened, says Javed Iqbal
According to sources, NAB officials have informed the senior officials about the state of affairs.
To avoid the judicial crises, NAB officials have started contacting senior lawyers for the post of Sindh prosecutor-general, but so far they have not been successful. The senior lawyers have also refused to offer their services on the current salary package.
According to the sources, NAB extended the contract of the current Sindh Deputy Prosecutor General Amjad Ali Shah for one year. NAB officials contacted Habeeb Ahmed and Advocated Munsif Jan for the position, however, after their refusal Shah's contract was extended.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 2nd, 2019.
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