ISLAMABAD - The National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice’s session scheduled for May 22 has been declared in-camera as National Accountability Bureau Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal will explain the bureau’s position on money-laundering allegations against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The NAB chief has confirmed his availability on May 22 and he would appear before the committee at around 2pm, a member of the committee said.

Committee Chairman Chaudhry Mohammad Ashraf has declared the session in-camera and the media would not be allowed to cover the proceeding.

The NAB chairman had been summoned by the committee to explain the bureau’s position on the initiation of a probe into the alleged laundered $ 4.9 billion to India by the former prime minister but later it turned out that the report on the basis of which the probe was initiated turned out to be wrong and fictitious.

The NAB had issued a media release on the initiation of the probe against Sharif, which according to PML-N leaders, was not a routine practice and demanded of the NAB chief to explain his position and quit his office in case failed to substantiate the allegation.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on the floor of the National Assembly had forcefully raised the issue of maligning the PML-N Quaid by the NAB chief and demanded of the Parliament to summon him to seek an explanation from him for levelling baseless allegations against Sharif who had served the country thrice as the prime minister.

Later, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice summoned the NAB chief to explain his position on the matter on May 16 but he failed to turn up as he had received the notice late and was also having some other official engagements.

On his request, the committee gave him time and asked him to appear before the committee on May 22.