Zahir Shah appointed as acting NAB chief

• Zahir Shah will serve until next chairman is appointed.
  
• Shah has been working as deputy chairman of anti-graft body.
• Aftab Sultan's resignation has been accepted by PM.

ISLAMABAD: Zahir Shah, the deputy chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), has been appointed as the acting chairman of the anti-graft body.

According to a notification issued on Friday, Zahir Shah will continue as chief of the anti-corruption agency until the next chairman is appointed.

“In pursuance of the proviso[n] to Section 6(b)(v) of amended NAO 1999, Mr Zahir Shah, shall act as Chairman, National Accountability Bureau, with effect from 22-02-2023 and till the appointment of new chairman, under the ordinance,” stated the notification issued by Additional Director NAB Syed Izhar Shah.

Zahir, who has been acting as NAB deputy chairman, is already looking after the anti-corruption agency since Aftab Sultan tendered his resignation from his office as the bureau's chairman. 

The newly-appointed acting chairman has been working with the body for more than a decade and had already held several positions in the organisation, including the coveted post of Director General NAB Rawalpindi.

In October 2021, he was appointed deputy chairman of the NAB, a position in which he oversaw the organisation's administration.

Since the post of NAB chairman is a constitutional position, the prime minister makes the appointment for the office after consulting the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly. 

However, in the absence of the chairman, the deputy chairman serves as the acting chairman, though he does not have the powers of a constitutionally appointed chairman. Only the chairman has the powers to approve the filing of any reference in the courts.

Aftab Sultan quits

Earlier this month, Aftab Sultan resigned after refusing to "toe the line", saying he cannot compromise on his independence.

He was appointed as head of the anti-graft body on July 21, 2022, for three years by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government after Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal’s tenure ended last year.

Speaking to Geo News, Sultan said that he had resigned from the office a few days ago. “I was asked to do certain things which were not acceptable to me.”

"I told them that I cannot continue with the conditions. My resignation has been accepted and it comes to an end on a positive note," he said. "Prime minister expressed good wishes for me, I also have good wishes for him."

Sources, following the development, informed Geo News that Sultan had refused to make arrests of politicians on someone's orders.

“He was pressurised by the government and some other institutions in the last four months to register cases against the people of their choice and arrest them,” they further said.

Sultan, according to the sources, had also withdrawn the arrest powers from NAB director-generals to avoid misuse of authority by the officials.