Unfruitful talks: Deadlock over NAB chief persists
PM proposes Justice (retd) Ijaz Chaudhry in response to Mian’s nomination by Shah a day earlier.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. PHOTO: REUTERS
ISLAMABAD:
In yet another unfruitful round of negotiations to pick out the chief of the National Accountability Bureau on Saturday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif proposed Justice (retd) Ijaz Chaudhry’s name for the slot.
The suggestion comes in response to the nomination of Justice (retd) Ajmal Mian by Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah a day earlier.
“The prime minister had no real objection to Mian’s name apart from the fact that the former judge was the secretary law when the November 3, 2007 emergency was proclaimed,” Shah told reporters after his meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz on Saturday.
“I will consult my party’s legal team on Justice (R) Ijaz Chaudhry’s name,” he added.
Shah said both the opposition and the government were making every effort to reach consensus on the new NAB chairman as early as possible.
“I wanted to finalise a name before the prime minister’s visit to New York,” he said. The opposition leader added, however, that the selection of the NAB chief was a “sensitive and important matter which should not be decided in haste.”
Shah said his consultations with Premier Nawaz will continue. The prime minister is scheduled to return from New York on September 29 after a week-long visit. After agreeing on the NAB chairman, the government and opposition will turn to accountability law reforms, the opposition leader added.
Before the premier put forth Chaudhry’s name, Mian was the hot favourite for the NAB chairman’s slot. The other four names – two each recommended by the government and opposition – were either objected to by one side or dropped from consideration.
The government had earlier proposed the names of Khawaja Zaheer and Justice (retd) Rehmat Hussain Jafri for the slot. Zaheer was later appointed as a special assistant to the prime minister, leaving Justice Jafri as the government’s sole candidate at the time. The opposition, however, did not agree with Jafri’s appointment as the NAB chief.
The opposition, meanwhile, had recommended the names of Justice (retd) Rana Bhagwandas and Justice (retd) Sardar Raza. The former, however, excused himself from consideration.
According to Shah, Justice Raza was still in the run in for the NAB chief. Despite this, consensus on Raza’s name is highly unlikely as some cabinet members are opposed to his appointment as the NAB chairman.
The government is constitutionally bound to consult the leader of opposition before appointing a NAB chairman. The anti-graft watchdog’s previous chief, Admiral (retd) Fasih Bokhari, was removed from his post by the Supreme Court on May 28 for this very reason. The body has been without a chairman since.
Last week, the Supreme Court warned to the government to complete the process of appointing a NAB chief quickly or face the consequences. Two deadlines set by the court – September 6 and September 13 – expired without any consensus on the matter.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 22nd, 2013.
In yet another unfruitful round of negotiations to pick out the chief of the National Accountability Bureau on Saturday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif proposed Justice (retd) Ijaz Chaudhry’s name for the slot.
The suggestion comes in response to the nomination of Justice (retd) Ajmal Mian by Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah a day earlier.
“The prime minister had no real objection to Mian’s name apart from the fact that the former judge was the secretary law when the November 3, 2007 emergency was proclaimed,” Shah told reporters after his meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz on Saturday.
“I will consult my party’s legal team on Justice (R) Ijaz Chaudhry’s name,” he added.
Shah said both the opposition and the government were making every effort to reach consensus on the new NAB chairman as early as possible.
“I wanted to finalise a name before the prime minister’s visit to New York,” he said. The opposition leader added, however, that the selection of the NAB chief was a “sensitive and important matter which should not be decided in haste.”
Shah said his consultations with Premier Nawaz will continue. The prime minister is scheduled to return from New York on September 29 after a week-long visit. After agreeing on the NAB chairman, the government and opposition will turn to accountability law reforms, the opposition leader added.
Before the premier put forth Chaudhry’s name, Mian was the hot favourite for the NAB chairman’s slot. The other four names – two each recommended by the government and opposition – were either objected to by one side or dropped from consideration.
The government had earlier proposed the names of Khawaja Zaheer and Justice (retd) Rehmat Hussain Jafri for the slot. Zaheer was later appointed as a special assistant to the prime minister, leaving Justice Jafri as the government’s sole candidate at the time. The opposition, however, did not agree with Jafri’s appointment as the NAB chief.
The opposition, meanwhile, had recommended the names of Justice (retd) Rana Bhagwandas and Justice (retd) Sardar Raza. The former, however, excused himself from consideration.
According to Shah, Justice Raza was still in the run in for the NAB chief. Despite this, consensus on Raza’s name is highly unlikely as some cabinet members are opposed to his appointment as the NAB chairman.
The government is constitutionally bound to consult the leader of opposition before appointing a NAB chairman. The anti-graft watchdog’s previous chief, Admiral (retd) Fasih Bokhari, was removed from his post by the Supreme Court on May 28 for this very reason. The body has been without a chairman since.
Last week, the Supreme Court warned to the government to complete the process of appointing a NAB chief quickly or face the consequences. Two deadlines set by the court – September 6 and September 13 – expired without any consensus on the matter.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 22nd, 2013.