ISLAMABAD, Feb 21: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday told the Supreme Court that it wanted to withdraw a reference of wilful default worth Rs406 million filed against Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat.

NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Abdul Baseer Qureshi filed an application before a Supreme Court bench after the tea break to withdraw the case of wilful default on a bank loan sought in favour of the Shah Jewna Mills.

The hearing had started early in the morning. The bench, hearing an appeal of Ms Shahida Faisal, wife of the minister, is likely to dispose of the NAB application on Tuesday.

However, the bench, comprising Chief Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui, Justice Javed Iqbal and Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, expressed displeasure and asked the NAB counsel why had he failed to inform the court about the withdrawal at the commencement of the hearing.