ISLAMABAD, June 26: Justice Mohammad Anwar Khan Kasi of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday said the forthcoming key appointments of directors general of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) would be subject to court scrutiny.

Hearing the petitions filed by 14 regional heads of NAB against the ongoing high profile appointments in the apex anti-corruption organization, the court restrained the authorities from taking any adverse action against the petitioners.

Justice Kasi put the NAB chairman and director general human resources on notices and sought their reply.

According to advocate Amir Abbas, counsel for the petitioners, the appointments including the incumbents director general (Punjab) Khursheed Anwar Bhinder and director general human resources Kausar Iqbal Malik would be declared void ab intio by the court if found inconsistent with the NAB rules.

The petitioners cited chairman NAB and director general human resource as respondents.

Advocate Abbas told the court that the NAB authorities appointing ineligible persons on high profile posts.

He claimed that former director general Wajid Durrani a retired officer of police force was also being inducted as director general on the recommendations of president Asif Ali Zardari despite the fact that he did not fulfil the criteria for the post and also did not possess clean service record.

According to the appointment criteria, the bureau’s authorities can made 25 per cent appointments from outside while 75 per cent positions can only be filled through promotion of the existing staff.

He requested the court to direct the NAB authorities to immediately convene the selection board for promotions in BPS 20 to 21.

He also requested the court to declare illegal all the appointments made by the respondents in violation of NAB rules.