LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday summoned the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman on a contempt petition for failing to decide an application seeking an inquiry into alleged illegal assets accumulated by former federal minister Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar and his brother, ex-provincial minister Hashim Jawan Bakht.

A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Aalia Neelum took up the petition filed by Ahsan Abid, a lawyer from Rahim Yar Khan. Justice Abher Gul Khan was the other member of the bench.

At the outset, the chief justice asked about the NAB’s representation before the court. However, a state counsel stated that no one appeared on behalf of the NAB.

The chief justice expressed displeasure over the absence of both NAB officials and lawyers despite earlier notices.

The petitioner pointed out that a two-judge LHC bench, on Oct 7, 2024, directed the NAB to decide, within three weeks, his application for an inquiry into charges of accumulating illegal assets against Mr Khusro and his brother.

However, he said, the court order had not been complied with by the bureau. He sought contempt proceedings against the NAB chairman for defying the court’s order.

The chief justice adjourned the hearing till Sept 15 and directed the NAB chairman to appear in person before the court.

In his main petition, Advocate Abid stated that the Makhdoom brothers owned six sugar mills, several investment companies and agricultural land. He said these assets were beyond known sources of their income.

He said the names of the Makhdoom brothers also appeared in “Pandora Papers” and “Swiss Papers,” but no action had been initiated against them.

He said the NAB’s Multan office had conducted an inquiry in 2018 into the assets of the Makhdoom family and found these unexplained.

He said a regional board meeting held on Dec 11, 2018, decided to forward the matter to the NAB headquarters with a recommendation for an inquiry and further action in accordance with the law.

The petitioner said the NAB was bound to complete the inquiry and submit its report before the relevant accountability court. However, he alleged, the bureau had not submitted the report due to the pressure of the former federal minister.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2025