In a controversial move, the PPP-led government appointed former Chief Justice of Sindh High Court Deedar Hussain Shah as Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday. Deedar had also served as Judge of Supreme Court. President Asif Ali Zardari has signed the summary proposing the appointment of Justice Deedar, as Chairman NAB, informed sources in the Accountability Bureau told Business Recorder on Friday evening.
The Government and the Opposition have failed to reach consensus on the appointment of new Chairman NAB as latter had rejected the government-proposed panel of four names to fill the slot of Chairman NAB, sources said. They said that the Leader of Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has turned down the names - former Judges Mukhtar Junejo, Deedar Hussain, Abdul Hameed Dogar, and former federal secretary Mehmood Saleem Mehmood - presented by the government.
Opposition termed Deedar a PPP loyalist, saying that he got elected as member of Provincial Assembly from Sindh twice, so he would not be able to hide his partiality during the course of accountability, sources said. Deedar before his elevation to Sindh High Court as Judge in 1994, remained Member of Provincial Assembly, Sindh from 1988 to 1990 and from 1990 to 1993.
Supreme Court of Pakistan gave the government one month with an extension of 10 more days to appoint new Chairman NAB. Deedar was enrolled as an advocate for subordinate Courts with West Pakistan Bar Council in 1967 and as an Advocate of the High Court in 1974, since then he had been an active legal practitioner.
In 1979, he was elected Member of District Council and occupied the slot from 1979 to 1983; he was also elected Chairman, Works Sub-Committee, District Council, Larkana in 1979 and was Chairman of the Council from 1979 to 1983; was elected unopposed as Chairman, Taluka (Tehsil) Council, Ratodero in 1979 and served the said Council from 1979 to 1983; was again elected Member, District Council, Larkana in 1987 and served the said Council from 1987 to 1991.
He was elected Member of Provincial Assembly of Sindh from 1988 to 1990 and from 1990 to 1993. In 1994, he was elevated as Additional Judge of Sindh High Court. His appointment as Additional Judge of the Sindh High Court was regularised as Judge of the Sindh High Court from the date of appointment.
Before signing the summary for the appointment of Chairman NAB, President is constitutionally-bound to consult the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, a constitutional analyst argued, adding that the decision was bound to trigger fierce debate and controversy, as the government had apparently failed to engage the opposition in the process of consultation prior to the appointment of Chairman NAB.