Media watch: NAB issues and long marches

Media analyse the government's move of appointing Deedar Shah as NAB chief and the opposition's reaction to it.

Media watch is a daily round-up of key articles featured on news websites, hand-picked by The Express Tribune web staff.

Long march threat

Agreed that Mr Shah’s appointment is more than political gaucheness; it is on the apart of the PPP an act that would seem to mock the higher judiciary and the opposition. But then there is more to life and to Pakistan than the credentials of a NAB chief. Ultimately, all controversy surrounding the NRO and NAB zeroes in on President Asif Ali Zardari, and that’s where the two leading parties seem to have been bogged down. (dawn.com)

Marching tunes

Even though bias has unfortunately marked the accountability process in the past, there is no need for this to continue. The government should indeed be endeavouring to set a better example than taking cover behind past mistakes and using them to justify decisions taken now. It would also do well to focus on its own working rather than point fingers at others. (thenews.com.pk)

Political appointment on a judicial post

Clearly then, the appointment of Deedar Shah as the new NAB chief is controversial and is likely to be taken up by the Supreme Court in the not too distant future. To some people, the government is fully cognisant of the 'illegality' involved in this case, and that's what it wanted in order to further complicate the whole scenario with the NRO case in the centre. (brecorder.com)

Long march?

This does not mean that the government made a wise decision by appointing Justice (retired) Deedar Hussain Shah. He may have a reputation for impeccable integrity and during his trial in the plane hijacking case, Nawaz Sharif may have expressed confidence in his impartiality. Nevertheless, his past affiliation with the PPP has raised serious questions. (dailytimes.com.pk)