Contempt case: NAB chairman submits written report

Letter to president using strong words against the judiciary was written in a personal capacity, says Bukhari.

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman Fasih Bukhari submitted a fresh reply in the contempt of court case against him, reported Express News on Tuesday.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, heard the contempt proceedings against the NAB chief.

The contempt of court case registered against Bukhari was in relation to a letter that had been written to President Asif Ali Zardari. He had allegedly used strong words against the role of the superior judiciary.

In the letter written to President Zardari, the NAB chairman claimed that NAB was not able to work freely due to the decisions made by the court. He also said if the interruptions continue, he would have no other option but to resign from his post.

The SC Registrar’s Office returned the initial report filed by the NAB chief’s lawyer, saying that contemptuous language was used in the written response.

The chairman NAB submitted a fresh reply after the removal of objections.

He said that he has faith in the freedom of the court and has worked hard for the restoration of the judiciary. The chairman also claimed to the be the first one to raise his voice against the emergency status declared in 2007.

According to the chairman, the letter to the president was written in a personal capacity. It was meant to be private and the chairman does not know how the letter reached the media.

The chief justice responded by saying that the letter reached the public after passing through the media and asked those present to think about the negative impact of such incidents.

The Supreme Court expressed satisfaction with the answer given by the NAB lawyer.

President Zardari has taken notice of the court proceedings.