ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court hearing a case pertaining to illegal appointments in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday expressed dismay over the bureau’s inability of noticing its own wrongdoing. It remarked that the bureau should have filed a reference against those responsible for making illegal appointments.

An SC bench headed by Justice Azmat Saeed Sheikh remarked that by making such appointments, NAB had spoiled its image which could not be ignored.

The SC bench was hearing a petition regarding NAB’s response to an earlier judgement by the court in a similar case.

The apex court had ruled that people whose appointments were found to be inconsistent would be expelled from NAB. The court had further said that the officials would be repatriated to the departments they came from or — if they wished — would be allowed to apply for jobs in NAB through the Federal Public Service Commission.

“NAB files references against other departments that make illegal appointments,” remarked Justice Sheikh. “How can it ignore the illegal appointments being made in NAB?”

However, the applicant — who had resigned from the National Bank of Pakistan in order to join NAB — claimed that he was not hired back.

“NAB has discriminated against us,” he said.

The NAB prosecutor said that the bureau had implemented the court’s judgement and assured the court that it would continue to proceed against the illegal induction.

The bench asked NAB authorities to file references against officials responsible for making illegal appointments in the bureau.

The hearing was adjourned for a fortnight.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2018