ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court of Pakistan said that NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhary’s appointment as head of the national accountability watchdog was tantamount to legalizing corruption in the country.
The apex court said that the NAB chairman did not play his role in the Panama Case investigation and that’s why the court ordered to form JIT.
In a short order regarding Panama Case verdict, the apex court said, “in normal circumstances, such exercise could be conducted by the NAB but when its chairman appears to be indifferent and even unwilling to perform his part, we are constrained to look elsewhere and, therefore, constitute a Join Investigation Team (JIT).”
Earlier, Judge Justice Gulzar Ahmed during hearing of Panama case in February asked NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry what action his institution had taken over the Panama Papers.
The NAB chairman replied that he was aware of his duties. He said that in 2016 the case came in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
Justice Asif Saeed Khosa asked that in the PAC, NAB had maintained that investigation was not in its circle of authority. The NAB Chairman correcting him said that he had maintained that NAB will initiate action after relevant authorities complete their formalities.
