Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Anwar Zaheer Jamali on Wednesday took suo moto notice against the alleged illegalities, contraventions and violations in appointments within National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Assuming the original jurisdiction envisaged under Article 184 (3), the chief justice took cognizance of the matter citing an anonymous letter, wherein the allegations of irregularities and violations in appointment were levelled. Quoting the 19 names of ex-military men and civilian officers as evidence, the letter contended that NAB has been allegedly violating rules with impunity and without any concern of contempt of the top court’s earlier judgments of 2011 regarding service matters.

The letter contended that there are currently 16 officers from amongst BPS-20 and BPS-21 senior officers working on deputation out of a total 32 officers of these grades. The majority of officers are posted on OPS against higher grades particularly DGs of various regional offices of NAB. The letter further stated that some of the NAB’s senior officials including ex-military officers were brought in on a deputation period of three years, from 1999 to 2002, but later got assimilated in NAB while 27 military officers served NAB while being in military service.

“The Supreme Court of Pakistan has adjudicated upon a host of issues in service laws and their implementation throughout the country in general and in Sindh in particular, yet appointments of NAB -being an apex anti-corruption body of Pakistan – have never come under legal scrutiny,” the letter said.

It further contended that NAB has violated basic service laws and disregarded the top court’s judgment of 2011 regarding a variety of service matters.