The Supreme Court Friday sought a comprehensive report from top anti-graft body in response to an anonymous letter which allegedly pointed out illegalities, contraventions, violations in appointments and promotions of officers within the National Accountability Bureau. Resuming the hearing of a suo motu notice, a three-member bench led by Justice Amir Hani Muslim asked the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Ashtar Ausaf to assist the court in the matter.
The letter revealed that the ranks of the officers, accused of being appointed illegally in the NAB's regional offices and granted extensions, are BPS 20 and above. During the course of proceedings, the bench said it will examine the absorption of deputationists within NAB whereas the court also issued directives to the Additional Prosecutor General NAB to submit reply over identical applications for implement in the matter.
Filing a report in pursuance of the court' earlier orders, the NAB filed a five page concise statement which Additional Director HRM Wing of the Bureau Niaz Hassan compiled saying the appointments against the slots of BPS 20 and above within the Bureau were made in accordance with the law.
The report said that officers whose names have been mentioned in the anonymous letter were not currently working as deputationists but were inducted in the initial years of establishment of the NAB in accordance with the NAB Employees Terms and Condition of Services, 2002.
Turning down the report, Justice Amir Hani Muslim remarked civil servants cannot be inducted in the NAB saying Public Service Commission cannot exercise the powers of appointments and promotions even to such extent. During the proceedings, appearing before the bench on court notice the AGP told the court that appointment in the NAB have to be examined keeping in view the record and law.
However, Justice Amir Hani Muslim observed that court would examine the transparency and criteria in appointments in the Bureau and if there is any irregularity, the court shall exercise its constitutional power to declare appointments and absorption null and void which are contradictory to provisions of law. Justice Qazi Faez Isa, another member of the bench said in his remarks it appears that everything comes off in the NAB with the discretion of its chairman. Later, the bench adjourned the hearing of the case for third week of October.