ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has allowed an appeal filed by former National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Director General Shahzad Saleem, bringing an end to the inquiry into the legality of his appointment.
A two-member bench, including Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi, announced the short order in the case.
During the proceedings, Saleem’s lawyer argued that NAB had launched the inquiry into his client’s appointment after an unexplained delay of nine years. He also maintained that the matter had already been decided by the Supreme Court.
Justice Rizvi questioned NAB’s prolonged inaction, asking why the bureau had failed to investigate the appointment during the intervening years and why the issue had not been examined when the Supreme Court issued its earlier ruling.
The NAB prosecutor conceded that the delay in initiating the inquiry was attributable to the bureau. However, he maintained that documentary evidence was available to suggest irregularities in Saleem’s appointment.
The prosecutor further informed the court that Saleem’s promotions had been reviewed in light of the Supreme Court’s directions.
Justice Rizvi observed that NAB should have examined the appointment procedure as well as the promotions while acting on the court’s directives.
