CJP summons NAB chairman in private bank recovery case

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Justice Jawad S Khwaja remarked on Monday that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cannot conduct recovery operations for any private bank without the approval of the Governor State Bank of Pakistan.

Hearing the NAB private bank recovery case, where the accountability bureau had sought cancellation of bail for one Mohd Tariq, the Chief Justice remarked that the accountability bureau does not catch defaulters responsible for corruption worth billions of rupees and considers going after defaulters of private banks such as Mohd Tariq to be an achievement. The Chief Justice questioned if the National Accountability Bureau had become the recovery officer of private banks.

The court observed that according to the National Accountability Bureau ordinance section 51-D the bureau needs the approval of the Governor State Bank of Pakistan; if it was not sought then a case can be framed against the bureau.

The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Chairman NAB to appear and has also sought details of where NAB has been utilizing its resources, at the next hearing.