The National Accountability Bureau has announced the appointment of Lt Gen (ret) Nazir Ahmad Butt as its new chief. This development comes just days after the unexpected resignation of Aftab Sultan.
ISLAMABAD:
After Raja Riaz, the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, and prime minister Shehbaz Sharif agreed on the choice of the retired general, the federal government nominated him on Saturday as the next chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for three years.
Following talks with the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Syed Asim Munir, President of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), Asif Ali Zardari, and Chairman of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, among others, the government has appointed a new accountability czar.
Lt. Gen. (ret.) Nazir Ahmed has been named by the federal government to lead the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), following consultation between the Leader of the House, who is the prime minister, and the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly.
The appointment was made in accordance with Section 6 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, as modified, according to the notification. In a circulation summary, the federal cabinet’s consent for the appointment of the new NAB chief was requested.
The federal government’s choice was made after Raja Riaz and PM Shehbaz Sharif agreed on the name of the next NAB chairman during Raja Riaz’s Saturday evening visit to Lahore. Once Aftab Sultan, the former head of the NAB, left his influential position last month, the position became empty.
Days after rumours that Sultan planned to resign as NAB chief because of pressure to adopt “inappropriate” steps surfaced, his resignation was accepted. Sultan mentioned “intervention” and “pressure” as his reasons for leaving, although he did not say who was exerting the pressure.
The former premier Imran Khan and his wife were instructed to come before NAB in the Toshakhana issue, which was one indication that he was under pressure but didn’t give in to it. This happened hours after he announced his retirement.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has demanded that a new leader of the opposition in the lower house of parliament from his party should be notified before the selection of a new NAB chief, which is why the prime minister met with Riaz, a disgruntled PTI leader.
