ISLAMABAD: Former Justice Javed Iqbal relinquished his charge as Chairman of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday after the completion of his tenure.

Sources said that a farewell ceremony was also held in the honour of Chairman NAB Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal. Deputy Chairman NAB Zahir Shah will be acting chairman NAB till the appointment of the new chairman.

Justice (retd) Iqbal was appointed as chairman NAB on October 8, 2017, and his tenure was to come to an end on October 8, 2021 but the previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had issued the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance 2021 in October 7, 2021, that enables the president to reappoint the incumbent NAB chairman or extend his tenure.

Similarly, as per the ordinance till the assumption of charge by the chairman appointed under this section, the outgoing chairman shall continue to act, exercise authority and perform functions as the chairman and shall have all power in the chairman under the ordinance.

Justice Iqbal served as a judge of the Supreme Court until 2011. However, according to the National Accountability (Second Amendment), Bill, 2022 recently passed by the parliament forwarded to the president for his assent the tenure of chairman has been reduced from four to three years and tenure will not be extendible.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022