Rumours are abuzz that the government has decided to extend the term of Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal and a draft ordinance has been prepared in this regard.
It is learnt that Prime Minister Imran Khan will chair a meeting on Tuesday (today) in which final approval will be given to the proposal drafted in consultation with federal ministers.
According to Geo News, Law Minister Farogh Nasim, Adviser to the PM on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan and Adviser on Interior and Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar suggested changes in the law.
Geo News quoted sources as having said that the draft has been prepared keeping in view the legal implications linked to the extension in the NAB chairman’s tenure, which is set to expire later this month.
The tenure of a NAB chairman cannot be extended under Section 6(b) of the NAB Ordinance 1999.
REPORT REJECTED: Earlier, Law Minister Farogh Naseem had rejected media reports and clarified that his ministry had not drafted an ordinance to extend the tenure of NAB chief.
He had said that it was the prime minister’s prerogative to pick a person for the post of chairman and that he could only give his advice on the issue. Naseem had said the prime minister will consider more than one name for the post and “will pick whomever he deems fit for the slot.”
Moreover, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had said that the government will not be consulting Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif over the appointment of NAB’s next chairman.
He had termed consulting with Shahbaz over the matter akin to asking a suspect who their interrogating officer should be.
Meanwhile, the Opposition parties had already announced that they will challenge the government’s move in the Supreme Court.
