ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), which had earlier distanced itself from the process of appointment of the National Accountability Bureau’s chairman (NAB), on Thursday announced three names for the post.

However, instead of presenting the three names to Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah, the party announced them through media.

Following are the names that the PTI announced: former inspector general of Sindh Police Shoaib Suddle, former judge of the Supreme Court retired Justice Falak Sher and former chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Arbab Shahzad.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah have met for several times over the past two weeks for finalising the name of the next NAB chairman, which post would fall vacant after the retirement of the incumbent chairman, Qamar Zaman Chaudhry, on Oct 10.

Meanwhile, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has claimed that it has given three names to the opposition leader for NAB chairman’s office and not one as reportedly claimed by Mr Shah.

MQM’s Rabita Committee member Ameenul Haq said that besides Justice Mahmood Rizvi, the party had proposed the names of retired Justice Muhammad Ghaus and former ECP secretary Kanwar Dilshad for the office.

The government has already proposed three names — that of Intelligence Bureau chief Aftab Sultan and retired justices Rehman Hussain Jafri and Ijaz Chaudhry.

The only nominee of Jamaat-i-Islami for the post is former ECP secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan.

With the addition of PTI’s three names, a total of 12 nominees are now in the run for the NAB chairman’s office.

The appointment of NAB chairman is being made at a time when a NAB court is hearing corruption references against members of the Sharif family in line with the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2017