'Is NAB's only purpose to make cases?': CJP Khosa takes accountability watchdog to task

Published May 23, 2019
Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa on Thursday took the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to task while rejecting the bureau's appeal against the acquittal of a supect in a corruption case and asked what the role of the bureau was. — Photo courtesy Supreme Court/File
Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa on Thursday took the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to task while rejecting the bureau's appeal against the acquittal of a supect in a corruption case and asked what the role of the bureau was. — Photo courtesy Supreme Court/File

Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa on Thursday took the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to task while rejecting the bureau's appeal against the acquittal of a suspect in a corruption case and asked what the role of the accountability watchdog was.

"What does the NAB do after all? Is NAB's only purpose to make cases?" he asked.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by CJP Khosa heard the accountability bureau's appeal against the acquittal of a suspect named Attaullah during which the top judge remarked: "NAB should think about how its only purpose is not to make cases, the only purpose is not to 'pakar dhakkar' [catch and push] around [suspects]."

"NAB should also attach evidence for those who it has made cases against," he added.

The suspect, who was accused of corruption as a cashier at National Bank, was acquitted by a high court four years ago. NAB had appealed the SC against his acquittal.

"For 19 years, the suspect was being troubled," the chief justice remarked, adding that there was not enough evidence to prove corruption.

While asking what the purpose of the bureau was, the top judge remarked: "NAB's purpose is also to prove a case and have a suspect punished," he said, adding that because of the bureau's attitude, people were under mental pressure.

Separately, the apex court also rejected another appeal by NAB against a high court order regarding a deputy superintendent of police Jahan Khan in an assets beyond means case.

The SC said that a trial court had given the suspect a ten-year sentence and fined him. They added that in light of evidence, a high court had revoked the trial court verdict and acquitted the suspect.

The apex court said that the high court order was on the basis of the law and of evidence, and rejected NAB's request while maintaining the high court order. The SC noted that the suspect had received 120 kanal of property from his father, mother and sister.

CJP Khosa said that NAB themselves had written that the suspect had over Rs8 million in assets and had bought property for Rs4.6 million.

The top judge expressed displeasure at the accountability bureau and said that NAB should be fined for this.

"From 2001 to 2019, you were dragging [along] a person for no reason," he said, asking: "Who will be accountable for the 18 years that NAB has bugged Jahan Khan?"

"The law takes its own course — whether a person is acquitted or goes to jail, we have to make decisions on the basis of the law and of evidence."

Recently, the PML-N and PPP have slammed NAB chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal over his controversial interview to a senior journalist, with the former seeking "an explanation" from him and the latter announcing that it will take "action" against him.

In his reported interview, the NAB chairman had predicted the arrests of many politicians, including former president Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, Aslam Raisani and Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, in the near future.

In March, the chief justice took notice of a purported suicide note left by retired brigadier and analyst Asad Munir and summoned a reply from the accountability bureau. In his note, Munir had expressed the confidence that he was giving his life in the hope that the chief justice would bring about positive changes in the system under which incompetent officials were playing with the life and honour of citizens in the name of accountability.

Earlier while hearing an appeal of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on March 26, the chief justice had questioned the manner in which NAB functioned by asking whether the bureau caused so much stress to those facing corruption inquiries that they fell sick and why the bureau, which had recovered billions of rupees, did not set up a hospital for treatment of those who fell ill (because of pressure exerted on them).

Opinion

Editorial

Defining extremism
Updated 18 Mar, 2024

Defining extremism

Redefining extremism may well be the first step to clamping down on advocacy for Palestine.
Climate in focus
18 Mar, 2024

Climate in focus

IN a welcome order by the Supreme Court, the new government has been tasked with providing a report on actions taken...
Growing rabies concern
18 Mar, 2024

Growing rabies concern

DOG-BITE is an old problem in Pakistan. Amid a surfeit of public health challenges, rabies now seems poised to ...
Provincial share
Updated 17 Mar, 2024

Provincial share

PPP has aptly advised Centre to worry about improving its tax collection rather than eying provinces’ share of tax revenues.
X-communication
17 Mar, 2024

X-communication

IT has now been a month since Pakistani authorities decided that the country must be cut off from one of the...
Stateless humanity
17 Mar, 2024

Stateless humanity

THE endless hostility between India and Pakistan has reduced prisoners to mere statistics. Although the two ...