PTI reference against NAB chief to be heard on May 16

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) has convened a meeting on May 16 to examine the reference filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) seeking removal of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman, Qamar Zaman Chaudhry on the basis of Panama verdict.

Citing the Panama judgement which said that NAB chairman failed to perform his duties, the PTI reference, filed under Article 209 sought ouster of Qamar Zaman Chaudhry.

The PTI has termed the meeting of the SJC a victory for the party. “That the SJC has called a meeting on May 16 is a victory for PTI,” said party spokeperson Fawad Chaudhry.

The PTI stated in the reference that in light of the recent apex court judgement in the Panama Papers case the integrity of NAB Chairman had been compromised and so he was no longer eligible to continue holding his office.

The majority of the judges in the Supreme Court s judgement had observed that normally the investigation into the charges against the prime minister should have been conducted by NAB but its chairman appeared to be partial and unwilling to perform his part so they had to look elsewhere.

Therefore the apex court had formed a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) headed by a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) additional director general or an officer of a higher rank. The official will be required to have firsthand experience of investigating white collar crimes and related matters.

The FIA officer will be joined by a representative of NAB, a nominee of the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan familiar with money laundering and white collar crimes, a nominee of the State Bank of Pakistan, a seasoned Inter Services Intelligence officer nominated by its director general and a Military Intelligence officer nominated by its director general.