Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved the presidential ordinance to give extension to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman former Justice Javed Iqbal.
It is reported that Prime Minister Imran presided over a meeting on Tuesday and gave approval to the ordinance which is expected to be promulgated soon.
Earlier, Law Minister Farogh Naseem, Adviser to the PM on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan and Adviser on Interior and Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar suggested changes in the 1999 NAB Ordinance.
Under Section 6(b) of the ordinance, the term of the NAB chairman cannot be extended.
However, the government defied all opposition and decided to extend the term of NAB chief.
Meanwhile, NAB Deputy Chairman Hussain Asghar has reportedly resigned from his post.
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.
