No progress in NAB cases in KP: PHC

PESHAWAR: A division bench of Peshawar High Court (PHC) observed on Wednesday that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is only active on media as there is no progress in the NAB cases.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Justice Muhammad Naeem Anwar summoned NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa director general in the court after absence of NAB prosecutor in a writ petition filed against the NAB KP.

Following the court’s direction, NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa DG Fayyaz Ahmed Qureshi appeared before the court. “The NAB KP is only active on the media. There is no progress in the NAB cases which are facing long delays in the courts,” Justice Qaiser Rashid stated while hearing the writ petition filed by one Tahir against the NAB official.

He added that the NAB issued call-up notices to people and then warrant of arrests in the cases but then there seems no progress in the cases. After the court notice, senior prosecutor of NAB appeared before the bench. However, the court questioned how one prosecutor would handle dozens of NAB cases in different courts and the DG NAB should appear before the court on the issue of shortage of prosecutors in the court.

When the court resumed the hearing into the case after NAB DG’s appearance in the court, Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan told him that there is no progress in the NAB cases in the high court.

In reply, the NAB KP DG said the bureau is appointing new prosecutors to overcome the issue and in this regard, candidates have been called for interview on September 19. He assured the court that the NAB would expedite the cases after overcoming the issue of the shortage of NAB prosecutors in the province.