The National Accountability Bureau on Tuesday announced the appointment of retired Justice Shah Khawar as the bureau's special prosecutor.

According to a press release issued by the bureau and acquired by DawnNews, Justice Khawar filled the post on an immediate basis. The notice says NAB has faced difficulty in following its cases due to the absence of a prosecutor general.

The press release says that since important cases are being heard in the Supreme Court and the accountability court in Islamabad, the bureau decided to appoint a special prosecutor instead of waiting for the post of prosecutor general to be filled.

Khawar will be representing the bureau before the apex court, which is currently hearing NAB's appeal challenging the Lahore High Court's order in the Hudaibya Paper Mills reference, the statement says. In the accountability courts in Islamabad, references filed by the bureau against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and members of his family are being heard.

The appointment comes a day after the apex court dismissed an application filed by the NAB, in which the bureau had sought an adjournment of proceedings of the Hudaibya Paper Mills reference until a prosecutor general was appointed.

The apex court, however, was displeased with NAB's application and said that the seat of prosecutor general being vacant does not suffice as grounds for adjournment.