Bar councils ask NAB chairman to step down

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), provincial bar councils and Islamabad Bar Council (IBC) on Saturday demanded the NAB chairman to resign after the apex court verdict in Khawaja brothers bail plea case.

A resolution -- passed unanimously by the sub-committee of the PBC, provincial bar councils and IBC members in the Judicial Commission of Pakistan after the historic detailed judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the Paragon Housing Society Corruption reference -- said: “The sub-committee expects that on reading the judgment, the Chairman, NAB, would voluntarily tender his resignation.”

The meeting was held here in the PBC office, Supreme Court Building, with Akhtar Hussain, in the chair.

“The sub-committee appreciated the judgment passed by Justice Maqbool Baqar and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, in “Paragon Housing Society Corruption Case”, granting bail to Khawaja Salman Rafique and Saad Rafique. “It is the historic judgment authored by Justice Maqbool Baqar, where under, not only the discriminatory actions on the part of NAB but the entire functioning of decadent and the corrupt state institutions are exposed, the Bench has also settled down the principles for grant of bail in such matters,” read the resolution.

The meeting resolved that the Supreme Court has rightly held that until a culture of transparency, liberty, civility and democratic values is created, our desire for peace and good order shall continue to elude us.

The resolution further resolved that after passing of the judgment at least, the Editor-in-Chief of Jang and Geo Group should have been immediately set free from illegal detention and suffering from last about four months for a private law deal of civil nature and that too of more than 30 years old.

“It is a matter of gross high handedness and victimisation of Shakil-ur-Rahman, Chief Executive and Chief Editor, Jang, Geo, who should immediately be set free”, says the resolution.

The meeting was also attended by Akhtar Hussain Bhatti, Member, Judicial Commission, Punjab Bar Council, Abdul Razak Mehr, Member, Judicial Commission, Sindh Bar Council, Ahmad Frooq Khattak, Member, Judicial Commission, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council, Munir Ahmad Kakar, Member, Judicial Commission & Vice-Chairman, Balochistan Bar Council and Qazi Rafi-ud-Din Babar, Member, Judicial Commission, Islamabad Bar Council.