Islamabad: Deputy Chairman of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Zahir Shah has been appointed acting chairman of Anti-Corruption Agency.
According to the notification issued on Friday, Zahir Shah will continue as the head of the anti-corruption agency till the appointment of the next chairman.
“As per clause [n] of Section 6(b)(v) of the amended NAO 1999, Mr. Zahir Shah shall, with effect from 22-02-2023 and till the appointment of a new one, serve as the Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau. Chairman, under Ordinance,” said a notification issued by Additional Director NAB Syed Izhar Shah.
Zahir, who is serving as NAB’s deputy chairman, is already looking after the anti-corruption agency since Aftab Sultan resigned as the bureau’s chairman.
The newly elected Acting Chairman has been working with the body for more than a decade and has already held several positions in the institution, including that of Director General NAB Rawalpindi.
In October 2021, he was appointed Deputy Chairman of NAB, a post where he oversees the administration of the institution.
Since the post of NAB Chairman is a constitutional post, the Prime Minister appoints him for this post after consulting the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly.
However, in the absence of the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman acts as Acting Chairman, although he does not have the powers of a constitutionally appointed Chairman. Only the Chairman has the authority to approve the filing of any reference in the Courts.
Aftab Sultan resigned.
Earlier this month, Aftab Sultan resigned after refusing to “toe the line”, saying he could not compromise his independence.
After the term of Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal expired last year, he was appointed by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government on July 21, 2022 as the head of the anti-corruption agency for three years.
Speaking to JEE News, Sultan said that I resigned from the post a few days ago. “I was asked to do some things that I was not comfortable with.”
“I told him that I cannot continue with the conditions. My resignation has been accepted and it has ended on a positive note,” he said. The Prime Minister wished me well, I also wish him well.
Following this development, sources told JEE News that the Sultan had refused to arrest politicians at anyone’s behest.
“In the last four months, he was pressured by the government and some other agencies to file cases against people of his choice and arrest them,” he added.
According to the sources, Sultan had also withdrawn the powers of arrest from the Director Generals of NAB to avoid abuse of powers by the authorities.
