ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has refused to appear before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a case pertaining to the implementation of the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance, DawnNews reported on Wednesday.

The bureau had summoned the former prime minister on the directives of the Supreme Court for appointing his friend Adnan A. Khwaja as managing director of the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited in Sept 2010 in violation of rules

Khwaja was not eligible to be appointed for any government office as he had been convicted in a case. However, he was given relief under the NRO and was given the key post in the OGDCL.

The Supreme Court had declared Khwaja’s appointment as null and void.

In this respect, a counsel for the former premier said that the Constitution awarded immunity to Gilani, who had been summoned by the NAB to record his statement in the case on Dec 11.

Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Fawwad Chaudhry, who also held the post when Gilani was in office, had stated that under Article 248 of the Constitution no court proceedings could be held against the president, prime minister, governors and ministers.

The counsel, referred to earlier, added that prime ministers signed "thousands of summaries" in order to fulfill their duties and that rules and regulations had been followed with regard to the appointment of Khwaja.