ISLAMABAD, Oct 10: The government appointed retired Maj Qamar Zaman Chaudhry as chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday.

Law Secretary retired Justice Muhammad Raza Khan issued a notification which had been signed by President Mamnoon Hussain.

The notification said: “After consultation between the leader of the house and leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, the president is pleased to appoint Maj (retd) Qamar Zaman Chaudhry, a retired, BS 22 officer of the federal government as chairman National Accountability Bureau in terms of section 6(B) of National Accountability Ordinance-1999 for a non-extendable period of four years from the date he assumes the charge of the office.”

A source in the law ministry told Dawn that before giving him charge of the office of NAB chairman, the government retired Mr Chaudhry prematurely.

This could generate a controversy because after retirement an officer should wait for two years before his next assignment.