Reappointment of NAB chairman: President approves new summary, Supreme Court told

The Supreme Court was informed Thursday that President Asif Ali Zardari had approved new summary, forwarded by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani regarding reappointment of Syed Deedar Hussain Shah as chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
A four-member bench headed by Justice Javed Iqbal comprising Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed and Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa was hearing identical petitions challenging appointment of Syed Deedar Hussain Shah as NAB chairman.Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, counsel for federation told the court that prime minister, after making little changes in first summary had resent his advice to the president and the president had appointed Deedar Hussain Shah as chairman of the probe body.
He informed the court that fresh notification had been issued, keeping in view the advice given by the Prime Minister and all requirements of article 48-1 of the constitution have been fulfilled. When Justice Asif Khosa asked the counsel that how a new notification could be issued when the first one was not cancelled...when there is no post vacant how the appointment could be made, he said first notification is being cancelled and both the notifications have been sent to printing press and would be issued soon.
The bench directed the counsel to present new summary to the court including its notification and observed that it would resume further hearing of the case after examining the new notification of chairman NAB. Meanwhile, Shahid Orakzai, one of the petitioners told the court that NAB chairman was appointed for non-extendable period of four years. How we will adjust these four months wherein Justice Deedar Shah is already working as NAB chairman, he said. The court said that once the new notification of the probe body chairman appointment is presented, the court would address his point. The hearing was adjourned February 28.