ISLAMABAD - The Federation counsel on Monday informed the Supreme Court that after the amendments in the Constitution, the Chief Justice of Pakistan had no longer role in the appointment of NAB chairman. A three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Javed Iqbal and comprising Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed and Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa was hearing petitions challenging the appointment of Justice (Retd) Deedar Hussain Shah as NAB Chairman. Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, and a freelance journalist, Shahid Orakzai, challenged the appointment of Justice (Retd) Shah as chairman NAB, appointed by President Asif Ali Zardari on October 8, 2010. Ch Nisar in his petition contended that new chairman NAB was appointed without the consultation of Opposition Leader, and that the consultation with the Chief Justice of Pakistan was mandatory for the NAB chairmans appointment. Abdul Hafeez Pirzada submitted the notification and summary of the Prime Ministers advice to the President for reappointment of Justice (Retd) Deedar. During the proceeding, Justice Asif Khosa remarked it appeared that even the Ministry of Law and Justice was unaware whether to appoint NAB chief in accordance with the Article 48 or Section 6 of the NAB Ordinance. Justice Javed asked Shahid Orakzai, one of the petitioners, if under Article 207 of the Constitution a 70-year-old person could not be appointed NAB chairman. He said there was no bar in the law on NAB chairmans age, and questioned: What is the significance of these issues? Justice Khosa said, When no law deals with the age limit of the NAB chairman then why you expect that the court laid down law in this regard.