ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court Thursday turned down a petition seeking removal of Justice (r) Javed Iqbal as the National Accountability Bureau chairman.

During the hearing over the petition filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Noor Awan on the issue of money-laundering allegations against ex-PM Nawaz Sharif, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar upheld the objections raised by the SC registrar office.

The office had directed the claimant to approach the relevant forum as directly coming to the SC on this issue was inappropriate.

The petitioner pleaded that false allegations of money laundering had tarnished Nawaz Sharif’s image, besides stating that the anti-graft watchdog can’t function unbiasedly under the supervision of Justice (r) Javed Iqbal.

Awan, in his plea, went on to say that NAB’s press release on the money-laundering issue and the incidents which followed it display a negative perception of the NAB chief about Nawaz Sharif.

The petition also urged the NAB chairman to seek forgiveness from Nawaz Sharif over releasing the content based on lies.

It is to be mentioned here that NAB had served a legal notice on Nawaz Sharif to explain the alleged transfer of $4.9 billion to the Indian exchequer.

Later, the former PM asked the NAB chief to produce evidence in the money-laundering allegations against him in 24 hours or tender resignation. He asserted Javed Iqbal had committed the former premier’s character-assassination

Responding to Nawaz Sharif’s demand of either furnishing evidence or tendering resignation, the NAB chief stated that if carrying out accountability was a crime, then it would continue in the future. “The process of accountability is in greater interest of the country. It is the watchdog’s primary duty to ask guardians of the national exchequer where public money was spent,” said Iqbal.

INP