ISLAMABAD/Sukkur - After several meetings between the prime minister and opposition leader in the National Assembly, the government has appointed Justice (r) Javed Iqbal the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for next four years.

A formal notification in this connection was issued by Ministry of Law on Sunday, just a day ahead of the retirement of outgoing NAB chief Qamar Zaman Chaudhry.

As per statutory requirement, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah held four meetings wherein the names proposed by the government and opposition sides were reviewed. After threadbare deliberations on the credentials of the candidates, both finally agreed on the name of Justice (r) Javed Iqbal.

Earlier in the day Khurshid Shah, who hails from the Pakistan Peoples Party, disclosed the agreement on the name of Justice Javed in a media chat in Sukkur.

He said that consultation with Jamat-e-Islami, Muttahida Qaumi Movement and other parties was held in this regard and the majority of stakeholders supported his candidature and decided in his favour.

He hoped that the new NAB chairman would come up to the expectations [of the people] and take further the cause of accountability, working diligently against the menace of corruption.

The PPP leader said the candidates proposed for NAB chairman by other parties were also good but Justice (r) Javed appeared to them to be the best, as he has a good reputation and did a wonderful job as head of the Abbot Abad Commission, which probed the US raid in which Osama bin Laden was killed.

Shah said he wishes for continuity of the democratic process in the country and holding of next general elections on time. He said he wishes to see all dreams of Manzoor Wasan come true, except the one about deferment of the upcoming elections.

He said that they have challenged the electoral reforms law in the court. About Imran Khan he said PTI chairman has its own party and way of politics while the PPP have their own style of politics. He said if PTI took to the streets then they would go to the courts at that time.

Selection process

Under the NAB Ordinance, a meaningful consultation between the leader of the opposition and the prime minister is mandatory for the appointment of new chairman and the law is silent in case both of them fail to evolve a consensus.

The government and the opposition had come up with their separate lists of three candidates each for selection of new NAB chairman and then a discussion on the credentials of the candidates was initiated between the prime minister and the leader of the opposition.

Government suggested the names of incumbent Intelligence Bureau Director General Aftab Sultan, Justice (r) Rehmat Jaferi and Justice (r) Ch Ejaz while the opposition side floated the names of Justice (r) Saghir Mohammad Kokar, Justice (r) Javed Iqbal and Election Commission of Pakistan ex-secretary Ishtiaq Ahmad.

Initially, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf stayed away from the process, terming it a fixed game between the ruling PML-N and the PPP to bring such a person as would protect their alleged corruption. However, later the PTI also came up with a list of candidates comprising Justice (r) Falak Sher, Arbab Shehzad and Shoaib Suddle.

The MQM-P also recommended names of their choice –Justice (r) Mehmoodul Hassan Rizvi and Justice (r) Ghaus Muhammad.

Khurshid Shah shared the names proposed by the PTI and the MQM in the last meeting with PM Abbasi they finalised the name of Justice (r) Javed Iqbal.

Javed’s Profile

Justice (r) Javed Iqbal served as senior justice of the Supreme Court from 2004 to 2011. Prior to his elevation to the apex court, he remained Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court for one month.

During his career as a jurist, he had heard and led high-profile cases including the case of suspension of fellow Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and the missing persons’ case in 2012.

He also led the Abbottabad Commission to probe the raid conducted by the United States to hunt down Osama bin Laden.

Born in Quetta in 1936, Justice Javed became public prosecutor and pleader at the Balochistan High Court in 1971. In 1973, he joined the law branch of the Balochistan government which he retained till 1977.

He later acted as the Deputy Secretary at the Law Department in 1981 and served as the officiating Secretary Law till 1982. The same year, he resigned from the provincial government’s legal branch.

Later in 1982, he was appointed a sessions judge. In 1985, he attended International Islamic University in Islamabad where he gained master’s degree in Islamic Law.

In 1990, he became Registrar Balochistan High Court which he retained until 1993. The same year, he was elevated as an additional judge at Balochistan High Court and was confirmed as justice in 1995. In 1999, he was one of the judges in the country who retook their oath under the PCO.

On February 4, 2000, he was made Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court and a month later, on April 28, he was elevated as justice to the apex court.

When the emergency was clamped in the country on November on 3, 2007, he refused to take oath under the PCO and was among the judges who were removed from service.