Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday decided to adopt 'wait and see' policy about the newly appointed chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB), saying the party was not consulted at any stage by opposition leader and the Prime Minister while appointing the head of top anti-graft body. Former Justice Javed Iqbal, a former Supreme Court judge, has been appointed as new chairman NAB by the government in consultation with opposition leader in National Assembly - a mandatory procedure for appointment of NAB chairman - as the incumbent NAB chief is going to retire today (Tuesday).
A meeting of the PTI's central leadership presided over by Chairman Imran Khan was given a detailed briefing about the appointment of new NAB chairman. "We were not consulted at any stage by the NA opposition leader and the government before finalizing the name of the top anti-graft body. Let us see how the new NAB chief proceeds whether he follows in the footstep of his predecessor or gets tough on the corrupt," said a statement issued by PTI central media cell.
The party said that it has no role in the appointment of NAB chairman, adding the government and the opposition leader in NA did not bother to consult the three names proposed by the PTI, which should have also been considered as eradication of the menace of corruption should be everyone's priority.
"The PTI is still in dark as what is the qualification and expertise of the pensioned judge that compelled the government and the NA opposition leader to appoint him as NAB chairman," said the statement. However, the party put the new anti-graft body head to test by saying that it would be in a position to comment about him in light of his performance which will be self-explanatory in a couple of days.
"Not only the Supreme Court but the whole nation will take stock of the situation as what he will do to eradicate the menace of corruption from the country," the PTI said in an obvious references to graft references filed by the NAB against the Sharifs in accountability court.
In recent past, the Supreme Court during the hearing of Panama Papers case declared Chaudhry Qamar Zaman-led NAB a 'dead institution' after it failed to satisfy the court on numerous occasions about cases pending against Sharif family.
The PTI pinned high hope on the new chairman that he would track down the corrupt elements, irrespective of their influential background which has always been a major hurdle in eradicating the menace of corruption. The PTI called upon the new NAB chairman to play his due role in taking the case filed after Panama Papers case, especially the Hudaibiya Papers Mills case to its logical conclusion. "The PTI believes that it is also the responsibility of the NAB chairman to bring the remaining persons whose names surfaced in Panama Leaks to the dock," it added.