NAB convicts cannot be reinstated after suspension of sentence: SC

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday observed that individuals convicted by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) could not be reinstated to their jobs after their sentence was suspended.

A top court bench headed by the chief justice heard a case regarding the conviction of a government employee.

The Deputy Attorney General (DAG) informed the court that Tahir Atiq Siddiqui used to work as deputy general manager at Telephone Industries. He had been sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs5 million for awarding illegal contracts.

The court was told that the department had fired him after he was convicted.

When Siddiqui’s sentence was suspended on appeal, he filed an application in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for the reinstatement of his job. The DAG said that the IHC had ordered his reinstatement and added that according to law, a convict remained ineligible to hold any public office 10 years after completing his sentence.

The court observed that the suspension of sentence did not mean an end to the crime and stated that the accused could not be restored to his job.

The apex court, while nullifying the IHC decision, approved the government’s appeal.