President rejects PM's nominees for NAB prosecutor general

ISLAMABAD: Federal Secretary for Law and Justice Karamat Hussain Niazi Monday informed the Supreme Court that the president had rejected the five nominees put forward by the prime minister for the appointment of prosecutor general of National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The law secretary placed on record the summary rejected by the president in that regard during the proceedings of a sou moto case on non-functioning of tribunals and special courts across the country conducted by a three-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar.

After going through the summary, the chief justice remarked that how could the president reject the names recommended by the prime minister.

He observed that under Section 1(a) of Article 48 of the Constitution, the president was bound to approve any documents sent by the prime minister or the federal cabinet though he could send back the same to the PM Office for reconsideration. The president could not the prime minister's recommendations, he added.

Meanwhile, Additional Attorney General Rana Waqar told the apex court that the president had sent back his own recommendations to the prime minister for appointment of any one from senior lawyers Waqar Hasan Mir, Chaudhry Mohammad Ramzan and Najeeb Faisal Chaudhry, whose names had been ejected by NAB Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal.

It may be added that NAB had moved a summary to the law ministry recommending names of Nasir Saeed Sheikh, Fasihul Mulk, Syed Asghar Haider, Mudassar Khalid Abbasi and Shah Khawar for the post of prosecutor general.

The court directed the law secretary law to consult authorities concerned to seek their suggestions and submit the same on next hearing on January 24.