NAB action on anonymous applications angers LHC

MULTAN: A division bench of the Lahore High Court (Multan Bench) on Wednesday expressed anger against the NAB for taking action, conducting inquiries and serving notices on citizens on anonymous applications.

The court sought explanation from the NAB under which law the agency is harassing citizens. The bench headed by Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz and Justice Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar said the Anti-Corruption Establishment, the FIA and other agencies are working to eliminate corruption, but who has given the mandate to the NAB to verify each complaint?

The bench was hearing a petition (Muhammad Mansha vs NAB) filed by a family against the NAB harassment on an anonymous complaint. The court remarked that the NAB has served a call-up notice on the petitioner over a crime, which has not yet been committed. Such call-up notices have no legal authority. If the Federal Land Commission orders are illegal, there is a relevant forum to challenge the orders.

The NAB prosecutor intervened in cross arguments when the petitioners' counsel Rashid Qamar tried to argue. The NAB prosecutor said Rashid Qamar had issued the orders against the petitioner for an inquiry when he was NAB prosecutor. Rashid Qamar went confused and said he had quitted the prosecutor office in 2018 while the inquiry is being carried out in 2030. The court instructed the counsel to withdraw from the case or assign someone else and adjourned the case for change of counsel.