LAHORE: A Lahore High Court two-judge bench on Thursday once again remained unsatisfied with the reply of NAB-Lahore Director General Shahzad Saleem about 20-year-old inquiries pending against PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.

On the last hearing, the bench comprising Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan and Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry had also expressed dissatisfaction with the DG’s response and directed him to come up fully prepared on the next date.

During Thursday’s hearing, Mr Saleem once again failed to answer the bench’s queries regarding the inquiries. The bench also admonished the investigating officer for interrupting the DG time and again.

The bench observed it seemed the DG had not prepared the report himself for which the IO repeatedly tried to make corrections.

The bench adjourned hearing till Dec 17 and directed the NAB DG to appear with complete preparation.

The PML-Q leaders, also allies of the PTI-led government, alleged in their petition that the institution of the NAB was being used for political engineering and old cases against them were being repeatedly opened and closed. They said all the three investigations were recommended for closure by the investigating officers and regional board of the NAB during 2017 and 2018.

However, the sitting NAB chairman approved reinvestigation and bifurcation of the inquiries against them after an investigation of 20 years since authorisation of the investigation in 2000.

They asked the court to set aside the authorisation of the inquiries and the order for their bifurcation passed by the NAB chairman for being unlawful.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2020