SC dismisses review plea over appointment of NAB chief

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed Federation's review plea seeking extension in time-frame over the appointment of Chairman National Accountability Bureau.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Nasir ul Mulk and Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali refused to accept request of Additional Attorney General Karim Khan Agha over the issue.

KK Agha apprised the Bench that the appointment to the office of chairman NAB could not be made as the competent authorities were busy in other important issues.

He requested the Bench for grant of time.

On March 10, a three-member bench, headed by former Justice Javed Iqbal, in its short order, had declared the appointment of Syed Deedar Hussain Shah as NAB chairman illegal and ultra vires to the Constitution.

While on June 21, in another case entitled Al-Jihad Trust, regarding exercise of powers by the deputy chairman NAB as chairman NAB, a verdict authored by Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa in Lahore Registry had set a month's time for the respondent to appoint chairman NAB.

The federation sought an extension in the appointment of Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and an early hearing of a pending review plea over a verdict concerning the appointment to avoid a situation arising out of constitutional and legal requirements.

It contended that it was not possible for the Federal Government to initiate the process of appointment of the NAB chairman because if the government would appoint new NAB chairman and later found out that its review petition over the issue had been allowed, then it would be awkward and embarrassing to have two NAB chairmen, which, was also not permitted under the NAB Ordinance 1999.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011