SC gives one week: Deadline for NAB chief extended
Meeting between Nawaz and Khurshid Shah ends without agreement.
Meeting between Nawaz and Khurshid Shah ends without agreement. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
Supreme Court of Pakistan has extended deadline for appointing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman by one week, giving warning that it could create complications if the bureau chief is not appointed by September 13.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard the case filed by Taimoor Alam.
Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Muneer A Malik told the bench that the cause of delay in appointment was that the names of some proposed candidates had been dropped on technical grounds, assuring the court that meetings between the prime minister and opposition leader were being held.
The AGP said that he had discussed urgency for early appointment with the authorities, to which the chief justice observed that sufficient time had been given to the federal government for NAB chairman’s appointment.
The chief justice said due to the lack of a chairman, NAB staff faced problems such as non-issuance of salaries and expiry of contracts with good prosecutors, adding that for this reason several high-profile cases were pending in courts.
NAB Prosecutor General Karim Khan Agha told the bench that the deputy chairman could not use the powers of the chairman, adding that though many inquiries were under way, references could not be filed without the approval of the NAB chief.
Agha further said that NAB could not arrest high profile personalities in any corruption matter and no new prosecutor could be appointed under the prevailing circumstances.
To this the AGP requested the bench to give time for completion of the consultation process, following which the court directed the government to appoint a chairman by September 13 at ‘all costs’.
Khurshid Shah meets PM
Earlier in the day, Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to discuss proposed names for the appointment of NAB chief. In a concise meeting, names of Sardar Raza and Rehman Hussain Jaffri came under discussion; however, it was agreed that once the president-elect has assumed office more names would be recommended after detailed deliberations.
“To bring transparency in the bureau’s functioning we need a neutral person, so that nobody complains of victimisation,” sources quoted the prime minister as saying.
After the meeting, Shah said they were yet to reach consensus. “I will suggest two names and the prime minister will recommend one of them,” he said, adding that he would do so in a couple of days.
CEC appointment
Regarding appointment of a new chief election commissioner (CEC), Shah said names will also be given for the new CEC.
“I have to nominate three people for the position,” said Shah, adding that PPP is likely to nominate, among others, Justice (retd) Bhagwandas.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 6th, 2013.
Supreme Court of Pakistan has extended deadline for appointing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman by one week, giving warning that it could create complications if the bureau chief is not appointed by September 13.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard the case filed by Taimoor Alam.
Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Muneer A Malik told the bench that the cause of delay in appointment was that the names of some proposed candidates had been dropped on technical grounds, assuring the court that meetings between the prime minister and opposition leader were being held.
The AGP said that he had discussed urgency for early appointment with the authorities, to which the chief justice observed that sufficient time had been given to the federal government for NAB chairman’s appointment.
The chief justice said due to the lack of a chairman, NAB staff faced problems such as non-issuance of salaries and expiry of contracts with good prosecutors, adding that for this reason several high-profile cases were pending in courts.
NAB Prosecutor General Karim Khan Agha told the bench that the deputy chairman could not use the powers of the chairman, adding that though many inquiries were under way, references could not be filed without the approval of the NAB chief.
Agha further said that NAB could not arrest high profile personalities in any corruption matter and no new prosecutor could be appointed under the prevailing circumstances.
To this the AGP requested the bench to give time for completion of the consultation process, following which the court directed the government to appoint a chairman by September 13 at ‘all costs’.
Khurshid Shah meets PM
Earlier in the day, Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to discuss proposed names for the appointment of NAB chief. In a concise meeting, names of Sardar Raza and Rehman Hussain Jaffri came under discussion; however, it was agreed that once the president-elect has assumed office more names would be recommended after detailed deliberations.
“To bring transparency in the bureau’s functioning we need a neutral person, so that nobody complains of victimisation,” sources quoted the prime minister as saying.
After the meeting, Shah said they were yet to reach consensus. “I will suggest two names and the prime minister will recommend one of them,” he said, adding that he would do so in a couple of days.
CEC appointment
Regarding appointment of a new chief election commissioner (CEC), Shah said names will also be given for the new CEC.
“I have to nominate three people for the position,” said Shah, adding that PPP is likely to nominate, among others, Justice (retd) Bhagwandas.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 6th, 2013.