ISLAMABAD - The appointment of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman is seemingly in doldrums as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has yet to evolve consensus with main coalition partners.
Though the appointment of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chief is constitutionally the prerogative of leader of opposition and leader of the house [prime minister], but in this case scenario is looking a bit different from previous practice.
Talking to The Nation, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Raja Riaz Ahmed said that the prime minister is in consultation with coalition partners to reach a consensus over the appointment of NAB chairman. “I have no objection to it. He [prime minister] can discuss and consult with coalition partners,” he said, and re
final round of discussion with the prime minister to decide name of the new NAB chairman on the vacant slot would be with him. About the prerogative of leader of opposition in the national assembly, he said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had held a number of meetings with him to discuss the appointment of anti-graft watchdog body. “Other day [Sunday], the prime minister and I met in Lahore to discuss some names for NAB chief, but consensus has not still developed on it,” he said.
The top slot of the country’s main accountability body is headless for over two month, as the previous NAB chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal retired last year. He had taken the charge as chairman of the bureau in October 2017. Former NAB deputy chairman Zahir Shah has been appointed as NAB’s Acting Chairman after Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal left this position. About finalizing the candidate for the anti-graft watchdog body, opposition leader informed that he and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have almost finalized one name to chair the accountability body. “Both sides deliberated over some names for this position and in the final round of discussion will announce the name soon,” said the opposition leader, without sharing the names deliberated in the series of meetings.
According to clause-5 of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999, “there shall be a Chairman, National Accountability Bureau to be appointed by the President in consultation with the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly.”
It states if there is no consensus on the name of the chairman, the names proposed by the leader of the house and the leader of the opposition shall be forwarded by the president to a parliamentary committee appointed under clause (iii), which may confirm any one name for appointment as chairman. “The parliamentary committee under clause (ii) shall be constituted by the Speaker, National Assembly, comprising fifty per cent members from the treasury benches and fifty per cent from the opposition benches, based on their strength in Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament), to be nominated by the respective parliamentary leaders,” the clause stipulates.
Sources said that the top contender for the important body Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqir has yet not been finalized as the PML-N was reportedly not in favour of appointing retired judges. PPP, the important coalition partner, has tried to convince the ruling party to evolve consensus on it.