Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Fasih Bokhari arrives at the Supreme Court in Islamabad on January 17, 2013. PHOTO: AFP
The court had ordered the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf after reviewing the two investigation reports submitted by NAB. But, during today’s hearing, NAB chairman claimed that the reports did not have the complete record of the case.
Bokhari also said that the investigation officers had worked in a hurry and did not provide proofs in their reports.
Bokhari told Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry that the investigations into the 2010 power projects were not ready, saying it takes time to find evidence to prosecute those allegedly involved.
The chief justice dismissed NAB’s report as unsatisfactory and ordered Bokhari to report back 15 minutes later with the case files so that the court could itself point out evidence that could form the basis of a prosecution.
In March 2012, the court ordered legal proceedings against PM Ashraf, who at the time was a close aide of President Asif Ali Zardari and was water and power minister at the time the power projects were set up.
But on Thursday, a defiant NAB told the Supreme Court it was a constitutional court and therefore was not able to investigate the case.
"Our mandate is to ensure the judgment is implemented. We have based the entire judgment on documentary evidence," hit back Chaudhry.
"There may be some persons who consider themselves to be above the law. I want to tell you no-one is above law. Why your machinery is not moving against the persons concerned, what is the hurdle?" he added.
NAB refuses to arrest PM
NAB chairman Bokhari on Thursday rejected a Supreme Court order to arrest the prime minister, television channels reported, providing some relief to a government gripped by political turmoil.
On Tuesday, the court ordered the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf in connection with alleged kickbacks in transactions involving rental power plants when he served as power minister.
The hearing was adjourned till January 23.
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@Yousuf Ahmad: Too much thought given to it by you! You wasted time sir, the story don't hold water for more than a minute, time needed to reread your comment. Fantas is Not a possible reality.
@O2: "....Where should a common man go whose neither leftist nor rightist?"
For what they care,"A place where the sun don't shine!" . . @Ricky: "Kudos to Mirza for always giving his/her opinion without being personal, angry, insulting or hitting below the belt" . I agree he is unbelievably polite, otherwise he would have abandoned his post long ago. . "The death of democracy in Pakistan were highly exaggerated much to the disappointment of some. ". . That is a conundrum we will need a philosopher to solve that. How can anything die, if it had never existed in the first place?
@ZAK: @Padishah: @Abid P. Khan: @Ishrat salim: Kudos to Mirza for always giving his/her opinion without being personal, angry, insulting or hitting below the belt. The facts are: NAB, Chairman Admiral Faisal Bokhari was the fourteenth Chief of Naval Staff not a PPP official. If he and SC CJ jump the gun to coincide with the Qadri March, how could it be anybody else's fault? Seeing the over-reaction and personal attacks only proves that the conspiracy failed and the euphoria and big talk of some was short lived. When the arguments run out the personal below the belt attacks start. The death of democracy in Pakistan were highly exaggerated much to the disappointment of some.
The Supreme Court have too far on this. The person in question is the prime minister, The head of the government. No one Will arrest the PM and the SC will loose face like on so many other cases. I refer to fixing the price of atta, constructing Kalabagh dam etc. for crying out loud, do Your job, not run the country.
this old guy has his one foot in grave, has been navy chief and a true Pakistani.God bless him !
@Abid P. Khan: Thanks for your kind words.
@Abid P. Khan: Hilarious! My blood pressure shoots up whenever I read his comments that look like nothing but point scoring statements from a jiyala with no thinking behind them.
@Mirza:
Allah se bhi Dara karo..Mirza sb....Kia aap ko Allah ko Jawab nahi dena ? All the time supporting the corrupt govt....log corruption Kare aur kuch bhi nahi kha jaye ? Yeh kaha ka dastur hai ? All such people including NAB chairman who claims that corruption is endemic with 12 b Rs everyday, yet does not want to investigate the corruption....wha Bhai wah...all such people including supporters will be regarded as an accomplice....this is in Quran..read it....and prepare to face Allah's wrath.....
Selected PM must be arrested.
I knew it!!!
His masters voice. Arrest him as well for incompetency.
Well done NAB for submitting the wrong report. Hats off to you Sir ! What do you think of CJ and Supreme Court ! Are they so stupid to accept your argument ?
Instead of commenting here, we should have participated in the L-March :-) May we get the best leaders of All ! Amen
@Zulfiqar Ali:
Yes, read these two lines:
"The chief justice dismissed NAB’s report as unsatisfactory and ordered Bokhari to report back 15 minutes later with the case files so that the court could itself point out evidence that could form the basis of a prosecution"
Mr. CJP has turned supreme court to a prosecution office. Imagine which accountabiity court wiill have guts to acquit an innocent (if he really is) when the prosecutor is supreme court. What a miscarriage of jusitice. I guess then the accussed will have to go to a police station for final appeal if their appeal is rejected by high court because supreme court has abondoned its role of the court of last resort. Mr. CJP has totally mixed up all the roles. He is a SHO plus PM plus trial court plus investigator --- everything except the real supreme court. Keep it up Mr. CJP and you will be remembered forever in history.
AHHHHHHHHHHHhh welcome to Pakistani versions of democracy .
@Padishah: "@Mirza: Go //// yourself. " . I have a little game in which I am the exclusive participant. Whatever news I read, even in Der Spiegel, I try to guess how is Mirza going to twist it today. His opinions are so predictable that my score lies at 99% despite my IQ level which kept me out of military school. . Thank you ET for having such a brilliant contributor. He keeps my bearings intact.
I thought NAB Chairman's job was to catch looters. He is looking for reasons to give them relief instead. Doing exactly opposite of what he is paid for.
Pakistan is so messed up
Nice. You don’t like the outcome, change the report.
Only in the Land of the Pure, PAKISTAN
@Mirza: Go //// yourself.
Tit for tat
@Yousuf Ahmad:
Just a thought, who is going to investigate the credibility of the Chairman NAB.
Just another thought- Who is investigating Arsalan Choudhary?
And one more- Who is going to order the arrest of NLC Generals?
@Mirza: This PCO SC thing is an old story sir. Bring something new if you need public attention.
Wishy-washy at best...........and sadly he was chief of the Pakistan Navy at one time.
Isn't the NAB chairman the same guy who did corruption in a Pakistan Navy deal and then fled to the USA? I think he was brought back from the USA by the last government. What came of that?
@Mirza Just like a true Jiala indeed. This whole order was issued based on the report submitted by the same NAB. Your so called elected Government has done NOTHING! in the last 5 years except saving their skins and looting this motherland of ours. From rental power scandal to Quetta fiasco your elected partymen, my friend, have failed this nation over and over and over and over again. And thats what will do down in history books, not your one-liners.
@Falcon: "Why am I not surprised?" . Bukhari Sahab jawaab nahiN. Mukarrar farmaiye.
hypocrisy at its best...........claps
Then either he being head of NAB or PM should be arrested then.
@Mirza: The elected PM? You mean Raja Rental? Have a heart brother.
@ Mirza... What logic man!!!! Is your real name Fawwad Choudhary...??
Chairman National Accountability Bureau declared the reported submitted to Supreme court are inaccurate. How funny… I must say bad luck of Pakistan
Ahhhhhh....... Democracy !!!!!
Why so surprised?
1- Either put this guy too in jail for submitting wrong report 2- Or keep PM into jail till the report is corrected
Serving the poor! Raja was ofcourse poor
There is a buzz around that Mr. President is behind the Allama Qadri's drama. Both his major allies are supporting the Allama - and are still part of Govt. and making the policies sitting in the cabinet. Apparently they want the system to fail and force the "boots" to step in.
The strategy seems to be working, as the Allama will get more momentum with this balant disregard of the justice by NAB - creating chaos and forcing non-democratic forces to intervene.
The PPP and allies will start crying foul after toppling of the Govt. and become the victims. Hoping that the inncent people of Pakistan will forget their thievery and elect them again in the next elections (that will take place - not in the near future).
Chairman needs to be fixed and fixed properly
After the Soviet invasion in 1979, everyone who could leave Afghanistan, left his homeland and settled elsewhere for good.
All these cons support each other. Yesterday all prime cheaters gathered to have unanimous resolution to continue with current corrupt setup, to which they are the part. Hail to democracy.
It is apparent as to where the loyalty is. It is not to the: constitution, country, SC or even self. It is to the boss who appointed him. It is a norm here in Pak, 99 percent of us do it in our daily lives. I might do the same. Survival of the fittest, Aye!.
leave the PM and nab chairman NAB for giving wrong information.Does this chairman think its some kind of joke going on. This man has embarrassed the SC and in turn the nation.
what can one do if the Accountability Bureau itself lacks accountability!
@Mirza: Shame on you
Establishment ?
Then arest the one who did job in hurry! why in hurry? was he getting late for a party.
Why am I not surprised?
"The court had ordered the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf after reviewing the two investigation reports submitted by NAB. But, during today’s hearing, NAB chairman claimed that the reports did not have the complete record of the case." SC must issue contempt of court and contempt of PM notice to the NAB chairman.
NAB, National Assembly, Parliament, The Presidant or Army Chief can save the PM from being arrested if SC orders. Because, according to the Pak Constitution, " Army is bound to help SC if it invokes Article 190"
Fruits of Pakistani Democracy !
Did the honorable (laughing) supreme court act in a hurry to dismiss another elected PM?
Surely CJP is more sensible than that.
Only in PAK !
This is democracy, where NAB protects the corrupt. Kudos to all the liberals who support such a government! Where should a common man go whose neither leftist nor rightist?
Democracy truly is the best revenge!
Birds of a feather......... ALWAYS flock together :) Well done Chairman Sahib for saving the skin of your corrupt bosses, who in turn appointed you once again after glorious decades of service (and benefits like plots, education, tax free cars etc etc) to the nation.
so thats what Mr. Bokhari's meeting with Zardari was all about
Is the PCO SC going to apologize for contempt of elected PM? Yet they claim to be the highest court in Islamic Republic!
The NAB Chairman met the President yesterday evening - can he explain why? Now he is claiming that the earlier report submitted by the NAB to the SC was faulty - if it was the case than why did it take so many months and the order of the SC to realize this mistake.
Mr. Bokhari, at least I don't believe you. Just a thought, who is going to investigate the credibility of the Chairman NAB.
If wrong reports were submitted by NAB then its your problem sir, you are the chairman.
Everyone is involved.
SC Revenge on its way .. smh